


Moments with You

by Living4LifesSake



Series: Lost In Love [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fantober 2020, Gen, LawLu - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:53:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 66,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26766832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Living4LifesSake/pseuds/Living4LifesSake
Summary: Law was almost dizzy from the feeling of if the whole world boiled down to just the press of their thighs together on this picnic bench, he’d still be happy. He smiled, not able to do much else but remark simply, “This has been a good day.”-From their first meeting to the day they got married including every moment before and after, Luffy and Law could do anything if they were together. No matter what obstacle came their way, whether it be the long road to healing they endured, every fumbling step they made on the way to the alter, or the ups and down of married life, they were completely lost in love.-31 Days of prompts from Fantober 2020 list created by @amiegalilei.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy & Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Series: Lost In Love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951006
Comments: 81
Kudos: 238





	1. Day 1: First Day of Fall

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter takes place a little before Law and Luffy's fifth anniversary. We'll revisit them in this day a few more times over the month but it's going to jump back and forth in time across their relationship. I'll let you know where we are at the beginning of every chapter.

When Law finally opened his eyes, he was confronted with sunlight streaming through the window falling directly upon his face.  
He blinked blearily at the world around him, cataloging the feeling of loose-limbed restfulness, the warmth from the bed and the person beside him along with the sounds of soft snoring and of birds outside. With a twist of his head, he peered at the analog clock on his nightstand, - that he had chosen because it fit his ascetic but was a pain in the ass when he just woken up- trying to decipher the time. Eventually he worked out that it was 8:36 and allowed himself a grin. They had both drifted off at around three, which honestly wasn’t too shabby considering their disastrous sleeping habits, so he had gotten a solid five and a half hours, not bad for a raging insomniac. 

Despite the annoyance of having to squint to see, it wasn’t what had woken him. Nothing had actually, he had woken up naturally on his own, which was almost a completely foreign concept nowadays. Six days a week his alarm dictated his wake-up time and it was only on Saturdays that he got to sleep as long as he wanted. (The fact that after eight-thirty was counted as ‘sleeping in’ didn’t need to be pointed out.) 

With an exhaled sigh, he fell back onto the pillow fully content to stay in bed a bit longer. Today was a Sunday and one of his rare days off; not an off day on-call but a real day off from work for a full twenty-four hours. He was ready to make the most of it and that started with lounging about for at least twenty more minutes. He got bored after a bit so he rolled on his side to get his phone from the charger so he could scroll through his feeds. 

At 9 o’clock, he peeled himself away from the cocoon of blankets, easing himself out of bed quietly to not disturb his sleeping husband. In the walk-in closet, he rummaged through the drawers that he kept his workout clothes in, paying little attention to what the ensemble looked like as he dressed himself in a pair of athletic tights with pockets, a dry-fit shirt and a thin pullover. He always exercised in the morning while listening to an audio book or the news as a way to get his blood pumping and mind working. He found it was the most productive time to work out since the evenings were more difficult to schedule time for.  
Grabbing his running shoes and socks, along with his phone, he exited the bedroom silently. The door had barely creaked open before he was greeted with two large dogs attempting to jump on top of him and themselves. 

Bepo, a mostly docile Great Pyrenees who had been Law’s partner in crime for twelve years, weaved around his legs, tail wagging furiously as he greeted Law just like he had every day he was able. Sunny, the energetic four-year-old red Golden Retriever who belonged predominantly to his husband, was eager to join in the fun of morning salutations. They both knew that when the weather was good there was a high probability that they would get to come with him on his morning run, if the weather was bad they would be able to annoy him while he worked out in the home office which he entered now. 

In the large open floor space, he did his usual warm up, stretching out his legs, arms and spine through a variety of dynamic movements to prep them for the harder work out ahead and get his heart rate elevated, though getting himself in a focused mindset was a futile effort because Bepo kept trying to get him to play tug-of-war and Sunny wouldn’t quit licking his face whenever he bent over. He gave in after a few futile attempts to touch his toes, laying on the floor to accept his fate of becoming a dog-licking post. He was out of breath in seconds from the combined 190-pound weight of two squirming dogs on top of him and laughing at how they flopped around, too excited to even handle themselves. He shoved them off finally, picking up his shoes again to go down the stairs, which they bounded ahead of him then doubled back to crowd him as he sat on the second most bottom step to lace up his expensive-ass running shoes that were worth every penny.  
He slipped his phone in his pocket, standing up to head to the entryway. It wasn’t safe to take them both out at the same time by himself, so Law opted to start with Bepo since he had seniority. He helped Bepo wriggle into his harness, clipping the leash to the back and made sure his shoelaces were tied properly. Once he locked the door behind them and rearmed the alarm, they set out together. 

On a sleepy Sunday morning like this, no one else was out in the neighborhood leaving his and Bepo’s breaths and footfalls the loudest sounds around. They had begun countless days throughout the years like this, in quiet companionship, all the way back to when Law was just starting his fellowship, furious at the world and perpetually exhausted to now when he was a esteemed surgeon, married, and well-rested. 

He did a two mile loop with Bepo around the neighborhood then came back to the house to switch out for Sunny and run the same two mile loop before dropping him off then did another six miles on his own. Those last six, he ventured farther out than the loop, adding in a few hills as he traversed the neighborhood for three miles before he turned back. He also picked up the pace having been warmed up with his slower pace with the dogs, focusing on maintaining form as he increased the speed. He slowed back down when he saw the house, going up and down the street from a run to a jog to finally a walk until his heart rate went back to normal. Ten miles wasn’t a considerable distance, but it was enough to get his energy levels up, his endorphins flowing and give him a sense of accomplishment. 

When he got back to the house for the third time, he took a moment to portion out the animals’ food before he grabbed a coconut water from the fridge to sip as he sat on one of the bar stools and tugged off his shoes. Polar, his white American Shorthair cat of ten years, apparently decided that now was the time to grace Law with her presence, meowing excitedly at the prospect of breakfast. He bent down to scratch the deaf cat between the ears as she looked up at him with large amber eyes.  
He left the pets to eat their breakfast, going back upstairs into the home office to do his routine of static stretches, followed by his foam roller routine to minimize post-workout soreness. Finished with that, he slipped into the bedroom quietly, heading into the ensuite bathroom to shower, peeling off sweaty clothes along the way. He was a two-a-day shower man out of necessity, but his morning showers were never a thing of pleasure like the evening ones, merely just a way to wash off. He toweled himself off and once he decided that he didn’t need to break out the electric trimmer today applied a beard oil. He ran a comb through the coarse hair, giving it some semblance of order then used a brush through the thick hair covering his scalp. Normally he would just towel dry his hair but they were going to leave the house in less than an hour and he wasn’t keen on having wet hair. 

He went back into the walk-in closet, this time to outfit himself for the rest of the day. He pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans, a long-sleeved red shirt then grabbed a pair of black heeled ankle boots and his favorite white and gold jacket to combat the colder weather. He threaded a gold belt through the loops of jeans as he trooped back down the stairs. He knew that their first stop once they went out would be to get something hot to drink but he didn’t think he would make it that long without some caffeine. He made himself a cup of coffee, depositing his jacket and boots by the entryway for later use, answered emails on his phone as he sipped his coffee and ate a protein bar. A glance at the microwave clock told him that it was 10:30 which meant it was time to wake up the last individual of the household. He took the half-full mug with him back up to the bedroom where, unsurprisingly, his husband had slept through his whole getting ready process, continuing to snore away blissfully unaware of what was happening around him. 

Monkey-Trafalgar D Luffy was an enigma to most of the world, a mess of contradictions wrapped up in a bright smile, scar tissue and fists like steel. He was fiercely protective of his freedom yet utterly dependent on the people around him. He had been abandoned and abused by the world, but he still loved it desperately. Luffy was, to put it simply, like the ocean. Utterly unconquerable, you could fight against him but eventually your energy would fail, and he would overpower you. He was untamable yet you could understand his ebbs and flows, you could figure out the nature of his tides and when you caught the right crest it was an amazing ride. Sometimes though the best way to survive was to flip onto your back, keep your head above water while you rode out the waves. Law refused to admit it but, six times out of ten, he did the latter.

At the age of twenty-four, his husband had become far less of a wild child and more of a well-rounded chaotic adult. His impulse control had increased to around 33%, able to go higher when shit went down and far lower when he was distracted by food or anything proclaimed ‘cool’. He was proving every assumption about him wrong, having kept the same job for three whole years now, maintaining a steady client base with two workers underneath him and had been with the same man for six years. He was supposed to wake up five minutes ago which his phone alarm was loudly declaring.  
Law leaned against the doorframe, sipping on his coffee again before saying, “You have five seconds to turn that off before I take action.” There was a slight noise of disagreement, a shuffling under the covers but the alarm kept ringing. Law grinned wryly, swinging the door wide open as he called out, “Bedtime!”

The sound of feet started to thud up the stairs.

In a flash, Sunny had bounded up the steps, dashed into the room and leapt onto the bed with an excited bark. Bepo came trotting up to the second floor more reservedly though he didn’t hesitate to jump onto bed as well. His husband was lost in a flurry of wagging tails, floating tufts of fur and tossed pillows and he came squawking out of the frenzy. Law laughed at the sight which made Luffy grin instinctively, trying to hide it with a feigned scowl. “Are you going to wake up now?”

“No.” Luffy grumbled, smacking the alarm off and dropping back onto the pillows. He giggled a moment later when Sunny dropped on top of him, squirming onto his back for a belly rub, fanned tail working like a windshield wiper smacking Bepo in the face, who seemed content to just lay there. Law shrugged, moving away from the doorway, “Fine, I’ll guess I’ll just go to the farmer’s market without you.”

“No!” His husband cried out, surging upright, dislodging dogs and blankets left and right. Law chuckled, bending down to kiss his husband’s cheek, “Then get dressed, we got stuff to buy and food to eat.” With a whoop Luffy shot out of bed, running to the closet to do just that. Law settled down on the mattress’ edge, running Bepo’s soft ears between his fingers in a way that made the dog moan and crane his large head for the best angle. 

Law had implemented a strict no-jorts rule when the weather dropped below fifty which had been responded to with a firm no-long sleeve/hoodie rule when temperatures were over ninety. They had both agreed to the terms because marriage was all about compromise. He was confident that Luffy would adhere to the rule but was hesitant of another aspect of wardrobe.  
“Put on some socks.”  
“Kay.”  
“You’re not wearing them with sandals.”  
“But it’s not even that cold!”  
“Closed toe shoes.”  
“It hasn’t even snowed yet!”  
“Don’t care.”  
“You’re no fun.”  
“You’ll be thanking me when you don’t have hypothermic feet, again.”  
“It’s only happened twice.”  
“Since you met me, I don’t even want to think of the count from before.”  
“I haven’t lost any toes.”  
“And you should be thankful for it.”  
There was a groan of annoyance before Luffy came out, gesturing to his outfit grandly, “Happy?”

Law contemplated the outfit critically- dark brown joggers, a bright lime green t-shirt and a fluorescent pink jacket with a pair of converse in his hands and fuzzy dog-printed socks on his feet, it was a bit eye smarting, but he didn’t marry Luffy for his fashion sense and it looked weather appropriate- before nodding, “Yes.”  
Luffy huffed but smiled gorgeously, coming over to crawl into Law’s lap to incite a round of morning make out, complete with groping, wandering hands and blissful, exhaled breaths, that ended when Luffy pulled away, his nose crinkled adorably, “You have coffee-breath.”

Law pushed him away, rolling his eyes as he stood up, “You have morning-breath. I’m not exactly swooning myself.” Luffy giggled and they both headed to the bathroom’s double sinks to fix their problems. 

After Luffy wrangled his hair into less of a mess that was promptly ruined by the smashing of his straw hat atop it, Law gathered up his own hat, wallet and car keys. They made sure the bedroom door and office doors were shut firmly before they went downstairs. In the kitchen, they both picked out the travel mugs they were going to use and Law double checked that they had their portable silverware sets stashed into one of the reusable shopping bags they were bringing. Luffy let the dogs out to use the bathroom while Law checked Polar’s litter box and the water bowls. Satisfied that the animals would be fine without them for a few hours, after Law had put on his shoes and jacket they piled into Law’s SUV and started the fifteen minute drive to the local farmer’s market.

This particular one had a focus on being as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible. All of the vendors had only locally sourced products and there wasn’t a single large corporation in service. Neither plastic straws or plastic bags could be found anywhere, plus the minimal amounts of single use items and packaging were made either from recycled materials or recyclable. There wasn’t a charge for needing to get disposable items but there were discounted prices for people who brought their own utensils and cups. Law had a lot to say about governments in general but even he had to admit that their locality had been doing a good job with supporting its small businesses and trying to keep their stretch of the coastline as clean as possible.

At a little past eleven, the open-air market was bustling however it was much more crowded on Saturdays, so they didn’t have anything to complain about.  
Their first stop, as always, was to hand over their travelers' mugs to get something to drink. During the spring and summer, he would opt for an iced coffee while Luffy chose anything sweet. In the fall and winter, Luffy went after hot chocolate exclusively while his options became more diverse. At home, he had his coffee black or made shots of espresso, uncaring for all the intricacies of making a more complicated drink but when someone else was making the drink he didn’t mind mixing it up a bit. Today he chose a macchiato, supplementing his usual espresso with a splash of foamed milk. Luffy thoughtfully offered him a sip of his drink that he declined and a bite of his cinnamon roll that he accepted; Law didn’t bother offering his coffee up knowing what the answer would be. 

They wandered hand and hand through the market, going up and down the rows of handmade soaps and other self-care products, locally crafted jewelry and artwork, various crafts and collectibles until it turned into jarred foods and preserves, baked goods and a cornucopia of produce. It didn’t take long for his husband’s attention to get grabbed by something bright, “Ooh, Traffy, let’s get some kumquats.”  
Law, already pulling out his wallet, decided it was best to set the expectation for behavior ahead of time, “As long as you promise not to spit the seeds out while we’re still in public.”

Luffy looked wrongfooted, having been half-raised in a forest, “Where else am I supposed to spit them?”

“A napkin.” He stressed, trying not to sound too exasperated but his upbringing with tiled courtyards more expensive than the entire house Luffy had been born in was screaming.

They bought a half-pound of the bright orange fruits that Luffy tore into mere feet away from the stall. Sanji had given them a recipe to cook them with ginger and garlic to make a chutney that they spread on crackers when they felt fancy, but mostly they just ate them whole like grapes. They also bought some raw honey since their supply at home was running low and some pecan maple syrup for the hell of it. They worked their way towards the food stalls as it got closer to noon, intent on getting their first meal of the day. In the face of two full rows of places to eat, Luffy swung their joined hands together, eagerly bouncing on the balls of his sneakered feet, asking, “What should we have for first lunch?”

Law shrugged, “Nothing too heavy, or I won’t be able to eat anything else.” He had already exercised today, nor did he have work later so nothing was off limits.  
They decided on getting food from a soup stall that was famous for its fish Bee Hoon soup sold in two varieties: fried, which Luffy got, or sliced, which was his preference. The owners fried the fish in small batches to ensure it was always crispy and piping hot, serving it in a separate bowl so that the fish wouldn’t get soggy lingering in the broth. They got an extra side of fried fish because it really was that good.

They sat at one of the picnic tables set up near the food stalls, their food steaming into the cold air. Luffy dug in heartily the second his ass was in a chair- a show of restraint on his part- but Law took a moment to breathe in the mouthwatering aroma. He dipped his spoon into the bowl, taking a moment to gather up the ideal bite to get the full experience. His eyes closed in bliss as flavors danced over his palate when he opened them Luffy was grinning at him knowingly. It was full of different vegetables, rice noodles and exceptionally well-cooked fish, all swimming in a rich broth. There was a natural sweetness in the broth that came from boiling good quality fish bones, yet it wasn’t particularly fishy tasting. He ate one of the fried fish pieces next, flaky salty goodness coated in a light batter that made it so you didn’t feel guilty after eating it. Any attempts at conversation fell aside to allow focus on consuming such a delicious meal. 

First lunch over, they went back to shopping for produce. Law found himself perusing through a bin of celery root, feeling over the roots for their firmness and checking for any green spots. Luffy poked at one, brows furrowed in confusion, “This is weird looking.”

Law picked out three decent-sized ones, handing them over to the vendor to be weighed out for price. “It’s celery root. Has vitamin C and K, also a good source of fiber.”  
“You’re a nerd.”  
“If knowing stuff about things we put in our bodies is nerdish than guilty as charged.”  
“What do we even do with that?”  
“I put it in your mashed potatoes and you don’t even notice.”  
“You what?!”  
Law paid quickly, shoving the roots into the canvas bag while Luffy gaped at him. He pulled Luffy away from the stall, freeing the space up for other customers, “Case and point.”

Luffy wrenched his arm free, mouth still agape, probably re-evaluating every meal Law had ever served him, “Traffy!” 

At the indignant shriek, he hunched his shoulders up to his ears, grinning as he started to walk away with his purchased produce. “Y-you can’t just mess with food like that! And not tell me! What about spousal trust?!”

Law was thirty years old, almost thirty-one, a damned child prodigy, one of the best cardio/thoracic surgeons in the country, a prized member of a dangerous family, he most definitely didn’t start running away from his sputtering husband. 

They were walking through the textiles alley after being reconciled over their second lunch- barbecue sandwiches from a stall that smoked their own meats- looking at the knitted goods brought out in preparation for the upcoming winter. Law got the inspiration to buy a yellow and red striped beanie because it reminded him of Luffy’s prized straw hat which made his husband giggle to have one settled on top the other. Luffy bought a pink and orange scarf citing that it was Zoro’s birthday soon and he’d love it. (Law was skeptical, since he had never seen Zoro wear anything in either of those colors but he wasn’t Zoro’s best friend so who knows.)

A while later, they found themselves standing in a crowd with others, watching a folk band play in an open space between booths. Luffy kept jumping up and down to get a better view until Law caved, letting Luffy wrap arms around his neck and drape himself over his shoulders, sneakered feet hanging off the ground as they watched. Three songs in, Luffy slipped off his back, declaring, “Let’s get something else to eat.” 

“Alright.” He said agreeably, rolling his shoulder blades and neck now free of their job. He picked up their shopping bags again, having deposited them on top of his shoes so his husband would have a more comfortable place to rest. 

Apparently, that wasn’t the response Luffy expected as wide eyes were turned to him, “Really?”

Law nudged Luffy with his hip, “If I’ve learned anything from having you as my husband, it’s that if you don’t eat your weight at a farmer’s market, can you even consider yourself there?”

Luffy rose up on his tiptoes to kiss him briefly then leaned back yet still close enough that Law could see the faint freckles splattered across his nose, remains from endless days out in the sun, the way his dark eyelashes curled, the scintillating flecks of gold in his irises, “I love you.” 

Law’s pulse fluttered, it felt in an instant like he had been bathed in ice water every nerve ending tingling from the sensation, like the heart designs tattooed onto his skin could glow from how deeply he loved, how three words could never be enough but for all his education he could never accurately express better than just saying it back. “I love you too and I’d hope you would too since we have been married for several years.” He laughed gently, pulling Luffy along, “C’mon, I know a place.”

There was a certain Swedish pastry stall that they always loved to go get dessert at either to eat there or to take back home. Today was no exception, they got both a princess cake and a daim cake to ‘share’ (read: Law takes two bites of each and Luffy inhales the rest), sitting down at a picnic table and fighting with their forks. The princess cake was Law’s preferred, because he found the daim’s almond cake with chocolate ganache and crunchy caramel far too rich for more than a bite.  
He swirled a forkful of sponge cake, pastry cream and raspberry jam on his tongue contently, taking in the sights and sounds of the people moving around them, living their lives like he was living his. Almost dizzy from the feeling of if the whole world boiled down to the press of their thighs together on this picnic bench, he’d still be happy. He smiled, not able to do much else but remark simply, “This has been a good day.”

Luffy beamed, chocolate smeared on his lips and kaleidoscope eyes outpouring love sweeter than any dessert, “Duh, babe, everyday is when we’re together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are my contributions for Fantober 2020, where we got to write for our favorite pairing created by the wonderful @amiegalilei. I chose Lawlu, who have always held a special place in my heart, I think it's the whole salty winter adult falling for the sunshine child trope honestly. Anyway look forward to updates every day hopefully or maybe double postings if I miss a day. Stay turned and let me know if you liked it!


	2. Day 2: Tea and Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji tensed at the appearance of another person though relaxed once he deemed Law to not be a threat to the culinary process. He actually seemed pleased to see Law, “Will you help me fix up the coffee? It’s already brewed, slip’s on the fridge.” 
> 
> Law didn’t mind helping out, and coffee was something he was well-versed in though he raised a quizzical brow, “Slip?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to mention that all of these will be taking place throughout the months of September and October since these are fall-based prompts. 
> 
> This chapter takes place about ten months after Law and Luffy got married.

They were over at the house for breakfast- although it was more like brunch at this hour- in preparation for a group outing to the local pumpkin patch and it was more economically friendly (and fun) to pile into two SUVs than to take several smaller cars. 

Law had dared to venture into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee since it had been a good hour since his last one and he needed a constant influx of caffeine to keep up with this group’s energy. His tolerance for their loudness had adjusted with time, which was nice because it meant he didn’t get headaches anymore just by being around them for more than an hour, yet he still found himself lagging in some areas. Honestly, he could probably write a whole thesis about energy amplification in social groups, or as Luffy put it ‘the hype’, there was something truly fascinating over the conditions that allowed it to emerge in certain collections of individuals yet not in others but then again he was a surgeon and not a psychologist, or would that fall under a cultural anthropologist jurisdiction? Sociologist? Ugh, he needed more coffee. 

The kitchen, which was smaller than you expected for a house that a professional chef lived in, was loud in its own regard with music playing from a portable speaker, the sounds of food cooking, the clacking of polished dress shoes. Sanji had a full feast going on the stovetop: eggs, bacon, sweet potato hash, with regular and chocolate chip pancakes.

The cook tensed at the appearance of another person though relaxed once he deemed Law to not be a threat to the culinary process. He actually seemed pleased to see Law, “Will you help me fix up the coffee? It’s already brewed, slip’s on the fridge.” 

Law didn’t mind helping out, and coffee was something he was well-versed in though he raised a quizzical brow, “Slip?”

Sanji pointed with a spatula by way of answering, attention fully focused on preparing the perfect pancakes. The double fridge doors were absolutely covered with paper memorabilia of important events, pictures, magnets, a large whiteboard scheduler with at least ten different colors expo markers. Lo and behold there was a piece of paper, held up by a magnet that read, ‘Morning hot beverage preferences: t= teaspoon, M measurer by pot’ Law scanned the first few names of the list, pulled out the jug of milk then headed over to the corner of the kitchen where the coffee pot and electric tea kettle was, finding the sugar jar with the teaspoon and a small pitcher that was apparently used for the milk. The cupboard above was full of color-coordinated mugs so he grabbed the yellow, orange and light blue ones.

_Usopp- 3 t S, 2 M_

_Nami- 2 t S_

_Franky- 3 M_

Following the instructions, he measured out the proper teaspoons, dumping them in, next he poured milk into the pitcher, filling it to the line then poured it into the mug and filled it up again as necessary, deciding it would be best if he poured in the coffee afterwards and stirred it up rather than put coffee first and risk having spillover with the additives. 

Those completed he walked back to the fridge to scan the next few names: 

_Sanji- 1 M_

_Robin- black_

_Zoro- none_

Who were the dark blue, purple and green mug respectively. He frowned, holding the green mug in his hands turning to Sanji still at the stovetop, “What does Zoro drink?”

A scoff, “Hell if I know.”

Law thought that perhaps Sanji should know what one of the seven other people who he lived with liked but that wasn’t any of his business. He fixed up Sanji’s drink first, placing it on the counter next to the man, who mumbled a thanks. He poured Robin’s coffee, grabbing his own gray mug from the cabinet to finally satisfy his craving, pondering what to do about Zoro’s drink.

It didn’t seem right to just give Zoro nothing, the problem was he didn’t know enough about the other man to make more than a guess. He racked his brain, trying to remember everything that Zoro had drunk in his presence. When he thought about it, it had mostly been alcohol or something combined with alcohol. With a sudden burst of inspiration, he went over to the alcohol cabinet, pulled out a bottle of vodka, next snagging the orange juice from the fridge, putting a heavy pour of both into the mug. Zoro wasn’t one of their drivers today and one diluted mugful of vodka would be nothing to his heavy tolerance. A screwdriver had been his own personal drink of choice for many years when brunching as opposed to a friller mimosa or a bloody mary. He figured Zoro might appreciate it, though coffee and vodka was always a good mix. 

The only three left were the pink, black and red mugs.

_Brook- tea_

_Chopper- tea, 3 M_

He spooned loose tea from the decorative tea caddy into two teaspoon infusers, putting them into the mugs so he could pour the water hot from the teakettle over and let it steep. While he waited for this he set out to fix his husband a drink.

_Luffy- hot chocolate/for the love of god no coffee!!_

He smiled at the sheer desperation evident in the inked words before frowning at his husband’s preferred drink choice. Hot chocolate was an acceptable drink for weather like this except as he checked the cabinet he didn’t see any mix available to make it. “Do you have any single packets of hot chocolate mix?” 

Sanji shot him a withering look that was incredibly intimidating for a man flipping pancakes, “Like I’d have any of that prepacked shit in my kitchen.” 

“Alright but he’s the only one listed for that drink, are you supposed to make a whole batch just for him?” 

“You’re his husband.”

That was increasingly becoming the members of this household’s favorite way to pawn responsibility onto Law. He wasn’t sure when his marital status had turned into some sort of instant scapegoat for anytime there was something Luffy did, or anything that they could vaguely correlate to Luffy as a way to get Law to do something but it was a part of his life now. “I’ll just give him some chocolate milk.” 

He pulled the carton out of the fridge, closing it with a foot, but froze because there, at the bottom of the list, underneath the names of other family members who weren’t here right now, scribbled on was ‘ _Law- black_ ’. 

He was unprepared for the sudden rush of warmth that flashed through him that came from the written proof of him being included. 

Luffy’s second adoptive family had been very guarded about his integration into their group, on the counts of being fiercely territorial and protective over his chosen significant other. It had taken him almost two years to get their trust enough for them to even consider him as more than just a friend. At this point, he and Luffy had only been married for less than a year yet there was his name added to the list. 

He most certainly did not have an extra lightness to his step as he poured a mugful of chocolate milk, took out the teaspoon infusers and added milk to Chopper’s drink. That would be irrational; to get joy from a few words on a scrap of paper on a fridge. 

Law put the nine mugs onto a serving tray which might have been difficult to carry except he had grown up in a large family that loved using the flock of kids running around as miniature servants. Truthfully a tray laden with mugs was way easier than trying to balance a precarious arrangement of martini and wine glasses. 

Upon his reentry into the living room, Luffy lit up from his space on the couch, legs sprawled out in Zoro’s lap, “There you are!”

Law put the tray on the coffee table for the others to grab as they pleased, handing over Luffy’s mug then picking up his own, moving to sit beside Luffy, “I got put to work.” 

“Only fitting, we all pull our share.” Zoro grumbled as he reached for his drink, before being seemingly delighted to find his breakfast cocktail.

Nami, who had been perched on the arm rest of the couch, snorted “When’s the last time you did shit around here?”

Zoro bristled, almost spitting out his drink at how fast he rose to his own defense, “I did the dishes last night!”

“Cause it was your turn!”

“Who changed your tire the last time you had a flat?!”

“I had just gotten my nails done, do you know how expensive that is?! Why would I do it when I can just-”

He leaned closer to Luffy to say conspiringly into his ear, making sure that his beard rubbed up against the other’s soft cheek because he knew it would make his husband giggle at the sensation, “I guess sibling bickering is a universal familial trait.” 

Luffy beamed at him, completely at home in a way that he simultaneously was everywhere he went and only when they were here and at their own house, “Don’t you love it?”

He looked around at the crowded room, at least five different conversations happening at once, bursts of laughter, music from the kitchen and a speaker tucked on the mantle, palpable excitement and easy comfort thick in the air, grinned into his steaming mug, “I do actually.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Believe it or not, my morning beverage preferences for the Straw Hats is not completely unfounded, one of the things I love about Oda is how much detail he puts into his characters, so if you look at the cover page of Chapter 284 you will see Nami, Sanji and Usopp's choice of coffee. For Robin and Brook I chose to go with no additives because I think that they're the type of people who like to experience the full untainted flavor of a brew. Luffy cannot be given coffee or he and the world will explode, Law wants to consume enough caffeine to make the devil quiver. Chopper likes milk, Zoro likes alcohol and I just guessed for Franky. 
> 
> Anyway thanks for all the lovely support and feedback and I'll see you tomorrow.


	3. Day 3: Rainy Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy jumped up and down in the water, hitting the surface with his palms, causing a nice set of splashes, “C’mon, babe, it’ll be fun!”   
> Law stood nervously at the edge of the patio, arms crossed over his chest, “Honey, you’ve already been struck by lightning once. I don’t think it’s smart to tempt fate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big time jump here. This one takes place late September, two weeks before Law's fortieth birthday and a few months before Law and Luffy's 14th wedding anniversary. 
> 
> I bumped up the rating of the fic because of this chapter and a few others that will follow, I don't think it's terribly graphic but better safe than sorry. I'll put content warning for each chapter here if it's needed. Got some mutual spousal hand jobs going on in this chapter.

  
Luffy was gazing out of the glass slide doors to the backyard at the darkening gray sky, almost lost in thought as he watched the movement of the clouds.  
  
Law had just gotten home a few minutes ago, and was moving around the living space, straightening pillows on the couch and refolding blankets for no reason other than going through the familiar movements of tidying up as a way to unwind, “Well, the forecast says, it’s going to rain all afternoon, but we always like rain, don’t we? A cold spell’s coming with it, supposed to drop 30 degrees in 5 hours. I’ll have to pull out the winter clothes from the back of the closet soon. Are you listening to me?”  
  
He jumped a little and had the good sense to look abashed as he admitted, “Kinda? Sometimes I just listen to your voice and not focus on the words. In my defense, you have a really hot voice.”  
  
Law took off his favorite hat to run a hand through his navy hair, shoulders loosening as he sighed, “That actually clears up a lot of things that have happened over the course of our marriage.”  
  
He smiled sheepishly, moving away from the sliding doors to be nearer to his husband while he apologized, “Sorry.”  
  
Law’s eyes crinkled at the corners, gracing Luffy with a smile, far too forgiving, “It’s alright, you admit it; you think I have a hot voice.”  
  
Luffy wound his arms around Law’s neck, beaming up at the first and only person that he had ever fallen in love with, “I think you have a hot- everything.”  
  
Law cocked an eyebrow, “Do you want something from me? Because you already have my bank account, and against Doffy’s wishes I didn’t make you sign a prenup.”  
  
He shoved his husband away with a shrieked, “Rude!”  
  
“Oh.” Law drawled out, that devious look flickering to life in his golden eyes, “You want my pants off.” 

“You’re so cocky.”

“Isn’t that what you want from me?”

He pointed a finger accusingly, “I knew this was gonna happen! Every time you hang out with Kid you get like this!” Law and Kid had a lunch date today at a brewery in the worker’s district, though he wasn’t supposed to call it a ‘date’ because the two participants had both been in a relationship with other people for over a decade but it was totally a man date.   
  
Law huffed, an intricate mix of embarrassed and pleased over his behavior, “I can’t help it, he brings out the twenty year old in me.”   
  
That was a feat, considering Law’s fortieth birthday was in less than two weeks. Luffy rocked back on his heels, “You guys are as bad as Sanji and Zoro.”  
  
Law looked vaguely offended, disputing, “Absolutely not. They can’t get along because they always fight. Kid and I get along _because_ we always fight.”   
  
He shook his head, “With friends like that-”   
  
“Who needs enemies.” Law finished.   
  
A little while later, they were on the couch just talking about their days and plans for the week while they played with the dogs. Luffy tossed a ball across the room, grinning at the sound of scampering feet and clicking claws across hardwood before he realized that there was a pattering sound on the roof.   
  
He flipped around to stare out the window again, leaning over the top of the couch. The rain had started to come down, a steady stream but there was no sign of thunder or lightning on the horizon. He grinned at the idea that popped into his head, turning back around to plop onto the couch cushion eagerly, “Let’s go swimming.”  
“What?”  
“Yeah, in the rain.”  
“It’s the end of September.”  
“Than the hot tub.” He compromised, jumping to his feet to practically run outside.   
  
“Are you crazy?” Law called after Luffy, shedding his shirt as he left the coverage of the roofed patio. In moments, his hair was plastered to his head and he giggled at the feeling of raindrops exploding upon impact with his skin. At the edge of the hot tub, he shimmied out of his athletic shorts and underwear, wadding them into a ball to chuck towards the veranda.   
  
”You’re crazy!” Law yelled, answering his own question, using his thigh to bracket the door, effectively stopping the dogs from running out after their younger owner so they didn’t have to deal with muddy paws and the distinct smell of wet dog.  
  
Luffy laughed wildly, completely nude as he stepped carefully down the steps into the hot water that was right on the edge of being too hot. Immediately, tingles shot up his legs causing him to hiss yet he rushed forward to get more of him into the water to experience more of the sensation. Once the parts of him were in the water, it quickly adjusted from almost unpleasant to kinda soothing. He laughed again, sinking down to his shoulders, shouting, “It’s nice!”  
  
It was a crazy mix of hot water and, in comparison, cold raindrops that made energy thrum under his skin as his body tried to equilibrate his temperature. He could spend a while out here by himself, messing around with the jets and the water but it was always better to do things with other people, especially if that other person was his husband. Luffy jumped up and down in the water, hitting the surface with his palms, causing a nice set of splashes, “C’mon, babe, it’ll be fun!”   
  
Law stood nervously at the edge of the patio, door firmly closed behind him, arms crossed over his chest, “Honey, you’ve already been struck by lightning once. I don’t think it’s smart to tempt fate.”  
  
“It’d be a cool story!” He crows back, because it would be cool to get struck by lightning twice and live to tell about it.   
  
Law groaned, preparing to stomp out from under the veranda, “Fine, but if we die, I’m blaming you.”   
  
He giggled in response, ducking under the water’s surface to wet his hair fully, trying not to laugh out loud over the bubbles from the jet streams that tickled his face.  
  
He had been struck by lighting when he was fourteen. He was in the fields with Ace, heading home through a downpour when there was a sudden blinding flash and a terrifying cracking sound then he was facedown in the dirt.   
  
He didn’t feel any pain in the moment but it had blown his eardrums out and he remembered Ace, turning him over, leaning over him, mouth moving but no sound coming out, raindrops rolling down his freckled cheeks. Ace has carried him back since his legs were shaky and he still couldn’t hear but he could feel the sound reverberating through his big brother’s chest.   
  
A few hours later his back had started to ache before big blisters started to sprout over his skin, from the base of his left shoulder blade down across his back to a few centimeters to the right of his spine. It was gross and painful, continuing to spread for over a week. Apparently, the marks usually faded soon after they healed but he had caught infection twice so when it had finally healed over, the marks didn’t go away.   
  
“Lichtenberg figures,” Law had explained when he first saw it, tracing the scarred pattern with reverent fingers tattooed ‘Death’, “Occur when the electricity surge causes blood vessels to burst. It forces red blood cells out the capillaries into the epidermis like a bruise. They’re keraunographic marks or ‘lightning trees’. It’s so beautiful, the feathering marks are formed from the transmission of energy, almost like fern leaves.”   
  
His first tattoo had been a matching one on his ankle with Law, the second one a matching X on his left forearm with his family. The third, a tribute to Ace with two little faces, one smiling, one frowning, on the inside of his right wrist. But the first one he had done for himself was an extension of the Lichtenberg figure, fern leaves trailing from the end of the scar down across his back to curl around his right hip.   
  
Now, five plus tattoos later and thirty-three years old, Luffy has never felt so comfortable in his own skin. He had grown into himself, embraced aspects of himself that he used to hate, including the ruined expanse of his chest.   
  
He hummed under his breath, watching Law take his skinny jeans off to leave them draped over one of the patio chairs. He left his long sleeved t-shirt on though and his underwear, which Luffy thought was weird cause in his experience it was better to just get yourself wet and not have to deal with wet clothes. Half-dressed, Law ventured out from the patio, scowling up at the sky like that would stop him from getting rained on, “I want you to know I was not this crazy before I met you.”  
  
“I’m in a group text with your siblings, I know that's a lie.”  
  
Law grumbled under his breath, face pinching at the change of temperature as he started to enter the hot tub. Luffy found himself mesmerized by the distorted image through the water of the tattoos swirling over his husband’s toned thighs, the way that raindrops were dampening navy hair, clinging to dark eyelashes, soaking into the thin material of the t-shirt causing it to cling, how the submerged boxers were becoming skintight making a very distinct outline. This was a fantastic idea.  
  
Luffy swam backwards until he bumped up against the edge, settling down on the stone step with his legs spread. Law dipped under the water, coming up with an exasperated shake of his sodden hair yet a slow grin drew across his face when he met Luffy’s eyes. For someone who didn’t want to get into the hot tub in the first place, Law was most certainly feeling it.  
  
Law found his way between the spread of Luffy’s thighs quickly, leaning forward till they were all in each other’s space with a tilting of heads that they had perfected over the years to ensure their lips met evenly. Law’s hands came to rest on either side of him against the edge, keeping purchase while they made out, then decided that wasn’t suitable, pulling one arm away before deft fingers closed around Luffy’s shaft. With an eager gasp, Luffy got both arms around Law’s neck, wrapped one leg around Law’s hip, effectively anchoring them together.   
  
Law’s thumb brushed over his tip sensually and that combined with the steaming hot water was almost enough to do him in but he grit his teeth, biting down hard on Law’s shoulder who jumped, squeezing him reflexively with a choked sound. They drew apart long enough to meet each other’s eyes with an unspoken challenge.  
  
Law began a twofold attack: calloused hand moving, a twisting motion that ran up and down his length while he began to suck on the exposed skin of Luffy’s neck, tongue flicking out, teeth scraping in a way that made the hair on the back of Luffy’s neck stand up.   
  
Luffy made short work of tugging his husband’s boxers down his legs far enough that he could get his own hand around something to tuck into the soft expanse of his inner thigh and Law’s hand, obscenely rocking his hips, a counterpoint of movement to the pace of Law’s pumping, never stopping his lips in one place long enough to be more than a flutter. 

They moved together, causing waves in the hot tub with their rhythm, the pressure between them building like energy in a storm. Law’s goatee scratched the underside of his chin, lips slick from spit and raindrops teasing the sensitive skin. Helpless to do anything, he threw his head back with a laugh in welcome, raindrops splashing across his face, between blissful warmth and refreshing coolness. Law came undone with a moan in his ear right as thunder rumbled in the distance, it felt like electrical current got shot through his body and he lost control while spots flashed in his eyes.   
  
Eyes half-closed as they panted into each other’s face with foreheads pressed together, they lingered in the sacred space of their union as the rain continued to pour. Eventually they pushed off of the step, drifting towards the middle of the small pool so that they’re more submerged and floating on top of one another. Law twisted his body, finally allowing his back to once again get under the hot water instead of being exposed to the rain, one of those rare smiles on his face that made it hard for Luffy to look at him head on, “You were right. That was fun.”  
  
They run, dripping and slipping over the tile and hardwood floors as they make their way to the shower, laughing as the dogs try to jump on them for daring to have a party in the backyard without their favorite four-legged friends.   
  
They’re going to crowd each other under the steam until Law uses his brilliant brain and remembers that they have two shower heads for a reason. They’ll clean each other up, intimate as if they hadn’t just been ten minutes ago. 

He’ll sweet talk his husband into detangling and blow drying his hair after they get out, will return the favor by towel drying Law’s thick hair and give him a scalp massage. 

Next, they’ll dress into sweatpants and fuzzy socks and he'll steal one of Law’s older hoodies before going downstairs. Law will make a fire, he’ll make hot drinks then they’ll probably watch a movie and order in. They’ll spend the rest of the night wrapped around each other in a nest of warm blankets and animals, kiss and laugh a lot in a way that is intrinsically them. They’ll fall asleep- tucked on the couch or upstairs in bed- either way they’ll drift off to the sound of the other breathing beside them and wake up to a new day just as exciting and beautiful as every day of the past fifteen years.   
  
Luffy can’t think of anything better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to give you all some sexy hot tub time in the rain which is not where I thought this chapter was going to go but I've been listening to Adam Lambert's album 'Velvet' and well, here we are. I've been swimming before when it's raining and it's nice, though I do not advise swimming during an active thunderstorm. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	4. Day 4: Love Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every time he thought he was making progress, he got smacked in the face with the reminder that he was trying to run towards a finish line that didn’t exist. He was never just gonna be who he was before, the trauma he had gone through had been carved into his very being, seared permanently into his chest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place about six years after Ace has died so Law and Luffy have been married for a little under four years. 
> 
> Content warnings: Luffy is coming off a pretty severe PTSD Re-Experiencing flashback episode over Ace's death, there is also a minor description of blood and violence. This is probably the darkest chapter in the month so please read at your own discretion and if it's not your cup of tea I'll see you tomorrow.

He blinked slowly, eyes aching like he had them open too long, vision focusing on something beige in front of him. There was a susurrus coming from somewhere yet his head felt like he was underwater so it was hard to tell where it was coming from. He was sitting down on tile, he could tell that much, the cold floor seeping into his legs through his jeans, knees pressed against his chest and maybe that was why he was shaking so bad. He stretched them out, uncurled his fists, straightened his spine in a physical attempt to try and loosen the tension that made his limbs heavy. 

He was staring at a wall, sitting on the floor, tucked into a corner of whatever room he was in which was usually his go-to whenever he started to lose grip and needed to get grounded. He had a fit then and was just now coming off of it. Like always, he couldn’t remember exactly what had happened, a lapse in his memory that could last a few minutes to hours depending on how far under he went. There on the floor beside him was his phone, a familiar lilting voice coming through the tiny speaker, he picked up the phone to raise it to his ear, “Law?”

There was an audible sigh of relief, “You with me, baby?”

He rolled his neck slowly from side to side, trying to work out the kink he had gotten sometime during the episode, “Yeah.”

Law’s voice was a gentle thing containing a hint of urgency, “Good. You alright, are you safe?” 

He sniffed, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand, “I’m...” He wasn't great, wasn’t even necessarily good, but he was alive and the things around him weren’t destroyed, “Okay. I-” He looked around, finally realizing that he was surrounded by a big bag of dog food, a case of beer and shelves up to the ceiling bearing food, “I’m in the pantry.” There was a headache starting to build deep in his temple, “When did I call you?”

“A couple minutes ago, I don’t think you were fully lucid. You sound better now, just focus on breathing. In and out, long and slow.” Law had been with him from the very first episode so at this point he was a pro at coaching Luffy back into some semblance of normalcy, either in person or over the phone. “I’ll try to get off work as soon as I can and get home. We can just chill out on the couch. You can order us something in for dinner, whatever you want. We haven’t had pizza lately, you can get the cheesy bread you like.” 

“The stuffed kind?”

“Course; our usual.” 

Even diluted by distance and lacking the warm enclosure of tattooed arms, there were parts of Luffy that ached with the familiarity of a love which had never lived before he met Law. He swallowed thickly, wincing at how it made a twinge of pain shoot through him, the knowledge that it had been induced by abuse of the vocal cords, “My throat hurts.” 

“Sucking dick when I’m not around?” Law joked as a pathetic way to lighten the mood, knowing too what it meant.

“No.” He tried to play along and laugh but was racked by coughs instead. Definitely had been screaming. He dragged himself onto his feet so he could get out of the pantry and into the adjoining kitchen for something to drink. There was a muffled sound of an intercom and the busy working of a hospital on the other side of the line as Law waited for him to get some water from the fridge. “Was it a bad one?”

“I can’t remember.” He admitted, leaning against the countertop, suddenly very tired. Every time he thought he was making progress, he got smacked in the face with the reminder that he was trying to run towards a finish line that didn’t exist. He was never just gonna be who he was before, the trauma he had gone through had been carved into his very being, seared permanently into his chest. 

“Alright.” Law said, his voice a balm on Luffy’s soul, “It wasn’t too bad. We’ve been through worse. I’ll be home soon, sweetie.” There was a rustling of fabric and he could almost imagine the determined pinch in Law’s brow over how his husband would fight his supervisor if he didn’t let go home right now, “Do you need me to stay on with you?”

“No,” He answered quietly, the damage had already been done and the only thing left to do was to keep breathing which he could do on his own at this point, “See you soon.” 

“I love you.” There were a thousand words hidden within those three and most of them were wanting assurance. “Love you too.” 

The line went dead and he stared at the screen for a minute, trying to figure out when the last time he looked at a clock was to maybe get an estimate of how long the episode had lasted. Deciding that it was a mystery which would go unsolved, he went to push himself away from the island, to do something while he waited for Law but hissed in alarm when the middle finger of his left hand flared with pain. 

He stared at his hand with a frown, noticing for the first time that there was a cut along the pad of his finger, dried blood flaking and beading a few fresh drops. It wasn’t deep enough to warrant stitches but it did throb dully in protest. He stuck it into his mouth to staunch the bleeding like he was five years old again. The counter was mostly bare, except for it’s usual assortment of items, but there was strangely a cut apple, browned from being left uneaten, next to the apple corer where one of the blades was a rusty brown. 

It came to Luffy in a flash: he had been coring an apple with the tool, laughing at the dogs who had been nosing him greedily because they knew that Luffy would always give them a slice, hadn’t been paying attention and the placement had aligned, bringing the sharp edge down in one fell swoop, when he had looked down there was blood on his fingers and it didn't matter that it was just a tiny fucking cut that would have stopped bleeding if he’d run under the water for a few seconds there was blood on his fingers, _sticky, red, warm blood on his fingers just like when_ -

He didn't remember anything after until his vision had focused on the pantry wall. 

He breathed harshly through his nose, wanted to slam his head against the granite countertop, forced himself to walk away instead. 

In the laundry room, Sunny and Bepo were lying in their crates, the doors wide open and waiting patiently. They brightened up when they saw him, standing up excitedly with wagging tails yet neither one stepped out of the confines of their crate. 

Law had both of them taken to a dog trainer for the purpose of being taught two specific commands that they would follow no matter what. The first one being ‘Away’ which meant ‘go to your crate and do not come out even if the door is still open and you have to wait for hours’ and the second command being ‘Return’ for ‘everything is normal, you can come out now’. It was necessary, of course, to teach them this to protect them from Luffy. 

His fits had gotten better over the years, lessening in intensity and frequency, however in the beginning, it was downright dangerous for him to be anywhere except for a padded room for the sake of himself and whatever was around him, living or nonliving. (He had broken a mirror once leading to several stitches in his feet when he stepped in the glass, he had broken Law’s nose once leading to him crying for three hours afterwards, Law had come home once to find the smoke alarm blaring with Luffy just standing there staring blankly at a pan full of burning steak and Bepo crammed under the bed in an attempt to hide from the noise and Polar with her fur on end at the foul smell.) 

It was different when it was just Bepo and Polar- because he was known for cowering when someone said his name slightly disappointingly and she was known to disappear on a normal day, meaning that they wouldn’t get in his way- but then they had gotten Sunny and the little puppy loved Luffy so much there was no way all parties could be trusted to stay safe. Hence the extensive professional training to have a set of procedures in place so all that would have to be said was the two one-word commands. 

He must have given the order before it got too bad then closed himself into the pantry to ride it out. At present, he made himself smile, “Return.”

Sunny sprinted out, slamming straight into Luffy's legs in his eagerness while Bepo came wriggling out slowly, inching forward on his belly like he was afraid going too fast would make Luffy send him back. He dropped to his knees, arms spread wide, heart torn in half and stuck back together with thumb tacks and duct tape. “Good boys.” He cooed, burying his face into the thick ruff around Bepo’s neck as Sunny licked his cheek, “Good, good boys.” 

Bepo stayed there, still as a sentry, while he cried. 

An hour later, Law came flying into the house breathless, yet his movements still had that practiced fluidity that radiated composure. There was a reason that he was a highly-decorated emergency surgeon. He dropped the pizza boxes and his keys onto the counter that Luffy had cleaned, heading to the couch Luffy occupied without bothering to discard his shoes or jacket. “Hey, darling. How are we feeling?”

“Hi, babe. And better.” He answered truthfully. He had disinfected and bandaged his finger, washed his face to get rid of the teartracks, and gave the dogs their well-earned treat, not the usual biscuit but a whole pig ear that they were still gnawing on as they laid by Luffy’s feet dutifully. He had given Polar a treat too, so she didn’t feel left out which she was enjoying at her favorite place atop of the fridge so none of her co-habitants didn’t get any ideas of thievery. 

Law sat beside him on the couch, finally sparing a glance towards the television playing one of the movies that had been deemed on the safe-list to provide needed background noise, slipping his shoes off to pull his long legs up onto the couch. His shift today had started at 8am and he wasn’t supposed to have been home for another two hours even though he had gotten off the phone more than an hour ago. “I didn’t mean to bother you at work.”

“Fuck my job, it’s a job,” Law said passionately, reaching out to place a tender hand on his cheek, brushed his thumb against the lines under Luffy’s eyes as if he could erase the burdens of grief ladened there, golden eyes glowing fiercely, “You’re my life.”

Luffy exhaled softly, a laugh almost overshadowed by a sob, “It’s too bad we’re already married or I would propose to you. You’re so sweet.” 

Law wound an arm around Luffy’s shoulders, tipping their heads together, “I’ll get remarried to you every day if you want.”

Luffy has nothing but incredible memories of their wedding day which over three years later still topped his list of best days of his life, smiling at the mental image of doing it again and again, “Really? That’s a lot of wedding cake.”

Law planted a kiss to his forehead, radiating warmth and love, “That’s what it means to be married to someone, to be prepared to choose them, every time. Every single day as long as we live.”

A sick feeling twisted in his stomach, he drew away to look the other man in the eye, saying faintly, “Don’t make promises.” He hated promises, promises couldn’t be trusted, they were empty words that always broke, easily broke. He didn’t want Law to make promises just to break them, it would shatter him. He wouldn’t be able to come back a second time, he wouldn’t have anything left.

Law wouldn't allow the space between, wrapping his arms around Luffy to hug him close, pressing light kisses to his face and hair, heart beating steadily, wholly intact and the only person Luffy had ever found this kind of comfort in. “It’s not a promise.” His husband murmured reassuringly, “It’s a vow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's canon that Luffy was absolutely traumatized over Ace's death with some serious issues over it, and there is no way in hell that there isn't some sort of lingering psychological issues. Yes, he can cope with it and it definitely gets better over time but I'm pretty sure if certain things happened he would relapse, just like most people who experience PTSD. I'm betting blood on his hands is probably one of them- even if it's his- and the smell of anything remotely resembling human flesh is another. I also think he harbors an aversion towards promises, since the person he canonically trusted and loved the most broke a pretty serious one. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	5. Day 5: Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law scowled, “You must be out of your damned mind if you think that you have a chance of beating us.”
> 
> “You’re lucky that I’m letting us play charades and not pictionary. I’m giving you a chance to not embarrass yourself in your own house.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a few months before Law and Luffy's second wedding anniversary. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Referenced drug abuse and death.

Law was wearing his so called ‘grandpa pajamas’, a matching set of charcoal flannel that’s long sleeved shirt buttoned up. They implied very clearly that they were no-sex sleepwear, which was an important message for Law to convey to his husband’s older brother. 

Originally, Law had not planned to be anywhere near his husband’s older brother while wearing pajamas, he had planned at the end of the evening to bid the other couple a good night and go up the stairs to their bedroom then lay perfectly still on the mattress until it was socially acceptable to start making breakfast. They had two guest bedrooms for the exact reason of not having to risk the awkward encounter that was bound to happen when you were around your spouse’s family yet Luffy had insisted that they abandon the beds completely in favor of making a pillow fort in the living room. Thus the need for the grandpa pajamas. 

‘One night,’ he reminded himself, ‘It’s just for one night.’ There had been a rare aligning of schedules, a once in a blue moon occurrence where Sabo and his wife/partner-in-crime, Koala were able to come and visit their beloved little brother, and y’know, that one weird goth guy who he was married to. They had gotten into town only a few hours ago and the four of them had plans to wake up early next morning to go sightseeing. Law wasn’t sure how a sleepover was a conducive environment to getting enough sleep to be refreshed for an early wake-up time but he understood the want for closeness and the excuse to spend time catching up with people you loved who you hadn’t seen in a while. That and his insomniac nature meant his body was used to operating on only a few hours of rest. 

Luffy was much more casually dressed, wearing an overlarge faded t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, his bangs pulled up into a small ponytail by Koala who he was collaborating with eagerly on the best way to arrange the couch cushion to keep the blanket roof from caving in. Bepo supervised with a rhythmic wagging of his fanned tail and Sunny was doing laps around the living room, ecstatic at the prospect of having people to play with all night. 

“I got a medical degree, not an engineering one.” He said by way of explanation over his lack of help in the construction process, headed into the kitchen, with the intent of being useful through making three affogatos and one float. 

He filled up the portafilter with grounds of his favorite dark roast, inserting it into the group head, turning the machine on. As he waited for the first cup to brew, he pulled out the carton of vanilla ice cream from the freezer and grabbed a can of orange soda from the pantry. From the cupboard, he selected four other coffee mugs, got out four long-handled spoons from the silverware drawer. 

The intense aroma of fresh espresso started to permeate the air, as deeply familiar to Law as the sun rising upon each new day. He took the full steaming cup, placed it to the side and put another underneath the group head. Since espresso took longer to brew than portioning out ice cream, he figured he would just fill up the remaining three with ice cream and pour the first two cups over two then refill one of the first cups before topping it with ice cream. It would leave him with a mug leftover but they had a dishwasher for a reason and the only other option would be to fill up the mugs with ice cream first, followed by the espresso on top and that would leave them with melted ice cream before they had a chance to enjoy it. He was confident he had chosen the optimal course of action. 

“Smells good.” Sabo remarked, clad in a long sleeved henley and checkered pajama bottoms, with a blue robe tied around his waist loosely but still managed to look dignified. 

“Yes, well,” Law answered, resetting the machine, “Making the perfect espresso was listed as a pro on my dating profile but it’s become more of a self serving trait since I married your brother and coffee makes him vibrate at a frequency that shatters glass, so I’m happy to share with people who can appreciate it.” 

“You are a man of many talents.”

“As are you.”

“Would you like some help?”

“Sure.” He slid the mugs over, “These need ice cream.”

They worked in silence for a moment, listening fondly to their spouses' debate technique of proper pillow placement in the living room. Sabo looked very focused on his task of scooping out vanilla ice cream into coffee mugs as he asked, “How’s your work?”

He shrugged, nonchalantly pretending that it was a straightforward question, “Same as usual: people get hurt, I fix them or they die,” He looked at Sabo with a slght smile, “Either way I get paid.”

Sabo grinned back, and ah, there it was- the glimmer in those deep blue eyes that made voices in Law’s head say _danger_ , “Nice job security.”

He popped the tab of the soda can, the sound loud in the sudden weighted atmosphere between them, “Benefits aren’t too bad either.”

Sabo huffed quietly, reaching out for the soda to pour over Luffy’s heaping mugful of ice cream, “Things must be easier when profit can be made off of the suffering of others.”

Law had to critically examine the sentence in his mind, trying to figure it out if the jibe was leveled at the system of privatized health care and the lofty check Law got every year from it or the current state of the black market that was getting desperately dependent of the manufacturing and selling of a certain type of drugs, before deciding it applied to both, “I do whatever job I’m told to and I do it well. Maybe you would consider that perpetuation of an unjust system, but I just see it as trying to survive.”

Sabo gave a pointed look around the 3 bed, 3 ½ bath, two storied house that they were standing in, “Doesn’t look like you’re exactly struggling, financially or morally.”

“You have no idea what I have been through to get to this moment in my life.” He said simply, voice as sharp as the scalpels he wielded, “Then again, I don’t know what you have either so why don’t we agree to stop making assumptions and eat our dessert in peace.”

“Fine.” Sabo said pleasantly, content to forgo the conversation as his face flashed with deviousness, “We’re still gonna kick your asses in charades.”

“You must be out of your damned mind if you think that you have a _chance_ of beating us.”

“You’re lucky that I’m letting us play charades and not pictionary. I’m giving _you_ a chance to not embarrass yourself in your own house.”

Law rolled his eyes with a short laugh. 

Personally he liked Sabo, the man was inexplicably kind, courteous to a fault and able to hold an intelligent conversation on almost any topic- no matter how obscure- with a loathe for authority as deep as Law’s and a slight unhingedness that made him a delight to wound up and watch go. 

It was refreshing to have claim to a sibling that wasn’t antagonistic in nature, not built on competition but a mutual love for one person. There were some parts of it that were bittersweet though, when he saw how Sabo doted on Luffy, it reminded him of his first part of his childhood, when he too was an older brother. 

The problem was, in some rings of society, they were practically enemies. To Law, Sabo was a severe liability, (so was Koala, she’d probably be able to break his ribs before he even got his arms up to fight) posing a threat to both Law’s legal and illegal careers; being publicly affiliated with a revolutionary could land him into a heap of trouble, and having one so close in his life was bound to cause issues one day. 

He knew Sabo felt the exact same way, but the man knew better than anyone that his little brother could not be controlled and ignored any warnings or constraints of society, hence their dangerous union. 

They had grown used to each other’s presence after realizing that the other wasn’t going to just disappear (which Law was ashamed to admit that at one point had been in the plans). They had formed a tentative relationship, where Sabo would threaten Law with consequences if he ever hurt Luffy, and Law would lash back with taunts and smirks, fully aware that Sabo couldn't actually punch him as long as Luffy was there to stop him. 

They would play this game as long as they had to. Continue to exchange text messages on important occasions, come together to brainstorm ideas of gifts to get Luffy, laugh at each other’s expense, all with expectation that one day the inevitable would come and one of them would have to make a choice that led to either the demise of everything they had ever worked for or the other person. Law could only hope that Luffy wouldn’t get apart torn in the middle.

But for now, Sabo and he would keep pretending that everything was okay and that it would stay that way. They would fool themselves into thinking that it was just an elaborate ruse and that they weren’t getting attached to the other. They would tell themselves they wouldn’t hesitate as they stared each other down on a battlefield looming in the horizon, and certainly wouldn’t cry.

(They would.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this AU, Law and Sabo are in different ends of a spectrum. Sabo stands for revolution, to breakdown the old system that has hurt so many to try and rebuild a new, fairer one, Law who has been brutalized by the current society is still clinging to it because he has worked his way to a sense of peace and doesn't want to lose it, even if he knows that it's wrong. And you thought this was just a collection of drabbles, nah, there's plot here, it might not get fully explored in this month's work but I have some plans to continue this series if it's received well. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	6. Day 6: The Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Mind if I keep you company?”
> 
> Law looked up surprised, taking in the beautiful blue haired woman smiling at him, the honorary family member who had booked a flight as soon as she had heard about the return of Luffy to the group, finding himself responding without thinking, “Of course not, Nefertari-ya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place before Law and Luffy get engaged, Law has been around the Straw Hats all of four times and he's still very much an outsider. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Mentions of feelings of social isolation and overstimulation.

The annual fair was almost overwhelming, an assault on all of your senses, a cacophony of screaming and laughing people, blaring music, neon lights flashing as a signifier of attractions, rides, games, the air saturated with a hodgepodge of fried foods that you taste on your tongue. He didn’t know who decided that going on a Friday night was a good idea, because in his experience it was much more enjoyable going on a weekday to avoid the majority of the crowds. He felt like he was going to leap out of his skin, could barely hear himself think regretfully, ‘I should have begged off, I should’ve stayed home, had Luffy bring me back something.’

Law trailed behind the group quietly, watching from afar the way Luffy shined around others. His family were hopelessly enamored in him, that much a stranger could tell, and Law was very much still a stranger. He was hopelessly out of place, disjointed where they fit in around each other. “Mind if I keep you company?”  
  
He looked up surprised, taking in the beautiful blue haired woman smiling at him, the honorary family member who had booked a flight as soon as she had heard about the return of Luffy to the group, finding himself responding without thinking, “Of course not, Nefertari-ya.”  
  
She fell in step with him, the clicking of the heels of their shoes completely drowned out by the fair around them, “You don’t have to address me like that.”  
  
Law stared intently at his shoes, pretending that he had to watch his step, wholly unprepared for having a one-on-one conversation with a woman who knew almost nothing about except for Luffy’s love being their one common denominator, “Where I come from, it is a sign of respect.”  
  
“You don’t call Luffy that.”  
  
“Ah,” He admitted, slightly embarrassed, “The honorific tends to get dropped once you become more familiar with a person.”  
  
She smiled knowingly, “I see.” They walked together, trailing behind the main group, both outsiders in some regards though he more than her. “They told me a lot about you.”  
  
He fiddled with his sleeves, trying to tug them down over his tattooed fingers. A few members had reacted badly to the morbidity inked in his skin and he wasn’t sure if she was one of them, “Nothing too bad, I hope.”

“I don’t think they had anything bad to say.”  
“That’s not the impression, I’ve gotten.”

Vivi turned wide eyes to him, “What do you mean?”  
  
He took a moment to contemplate phrasing, not wanting to offend but unable to stay silent on the issue anymore, “Upon our first meeting a few of them had been positively venomous at the prospect of our relationship, since then they haven’t been too forthcoming. I suppose it’s hard to get to know someone when you only interact by proxy. If it wasn’t for Luffy, we would have never met.”  
  
“We all wouldn’t have met without Luffy. Truly, he was the one who brought us together,” She explained honestly, “Everyone feels this way at first. I did.”  
  
“But they like you, I mean, you’ve interacted with all of them and-” He sighed, finishing lamely, “You have history with them.” This was ridiculous, he was a grown man, he didn’t know why he was letting himself get so worked up about not ‘making friends’. He should be used to it, he had been ostracized his whole life and had long stopped caring about what the world thought about him. He didn’t need their friendship or their approval of his relationship, the only other person’s opinion that mattered was Luffy’s and he had been very upfront over his positive feelings on that particular topic.   
  
He was resolved to just continue and deal with it when Vivi touched his forearm, stopping him in his tracks. He turned to face her, meeting her serious brown eyes, “Are you going to stick around?” 

“Yes.” There was no hesitation. He was in this for life, there was a ring in a box hidden in his dresser as proof. 

Her face softened and she squeezed his arm with a smile, “Then you’re going to make history with them. Give it time.”  
  
With that she turned away, moving forward when the others called for her then Luffy yelled back to him, grin blinding from even from fifteen feet away, “What are you waiting for, slowpoke? You gotta ride the ferris wheel with me!”  
  
Later, they were crowded around a picnic table that was too small for eleven people but they were making it work, a few practically in each other laps and a couple others sitting on the picnic table itself. Law had been given an edge seat since Luffy was the only one who wanted to be all in his space, their thighs overlapping and elbows jostling as they ate their respective desserts.  
  
Luffy had gotten a funnel cake that was bigger than his head and was going to town on it like he did every dessert. Law was much more reservedly eating what had been called a ‘fried latte’ which he thought was misnamed because it wasn’t actually a fried coffee but instead was fried pastry topped with cappuccino ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and instant coffee powder. He wasn’t going to finish it, honestly not sure why he had gotten it in the first place except for Luffy’s encouragement of him having to get _something_ fried since it was the fair and it was basically sacrilegious to not. He was going to have to polish off the cappuccino ice cream otherwise Luffy would get into it and Law would have to deal with the aftermath.   
  
He was focused on his mission, simply absorbing the conversation being had by the others as he ate, foot tapping under the table along to the beat of the song that was playing over the speakers from a stage across the street. Humming along with the song, he reached over to tear off a piece of Luffy’s funnel cake. Luffy watched him eat it, head bobbing to the music while he smiled, “It’s good, huh?” Law nodded in agreement, offering a carefully selected spoonful of whipped cream and caramel up which Luffy accepted gladly. Suddenly, he was aware that everyone else at their table had gone silent and all eyes were trained on them. He turned to face them, hesitantly, wondering if now was the moment they had finally decided to stone him to death.   
  
“What,” Nami said pointedly, “The hell is going on?”  
  
“What?” Law asked back, casting a look over to Luffy for some sort of social cue yet found his boyfriend trying to steal more of his dessert.   
  
“You took some of his food.” Usopp whispered, seemingly horrified and a few others nodded in equal shock, “He let you take some of food.”  
  
“We’re dating.” Law explained slowly, unaware of what the problem was.   
  
“No, that’s besides the point.” Sanji pointed an accusing finger towards Luffy, “You’re _sharing your food_.”  
  
Luffy laughed nonchalantly, “I like Torao so I always share.” That was true, since their first times eating together- during Law’s lunch breaks when Luffy was still recovering in the hospital and Law would sneak him in extra food from the outside world- they had shared.   
  
“Plus,” Law added, tearing off another piece, “I’ve been paying your bills for the last two years, you owe me some funnel cake.”   
  
Luffy pouted, sucking powdered sugar off his fingers, “When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound cute.”  
  
Law leaned in to claim his boyfriend’s lips, declaring, “I’ll show you cute.” Luffy giggled at the feeling of his goatee, nose scrunching up, cheeks flushed with excitement, eyes glittering with love and neon lights, “There, that’s a cute sight.”  
  
“How sweet!”  
“It’s crazy, is what it is.”  
“Guy only knows him for less than two years and gets to share.”   
“Who would have thought?”  
“It’s real life character development.”  
“You guys are being weird!”  
“It’s like an alternate universe. Robin, did you find some freaky shit on your last expedition? Cause that might explain this.”  
“That would be a Super strange turn of events!”  
“We talked about this, adding the word ‘super’ to everything doesn’t-”   
“I hardly doubt that an artifact from six hundred years would still have residual powers left over.”  
“C'mon we’ve all seen The Mummy.”  
“Isn’t young love so wonderful, yohohoho! I remember once, in my younger days-”  
“Please don’t get started, we’ll be here all night.”  
  
Amidst all of their chatter, Law allowed himself to share a smile with Vivi. Looks like history was already in the making.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stands at the edge of a cliff and shouts into the abyss, 'I have complicated feelings about Law's relationship with the other Straw Hats!' I mean when you think about it, they have every reason to be on guard on Law, they have no idea where he came from or what he's about except he saved Luffy and now they're dating, seems kinda sketch in their opinions. They think Law might have taken advantage of Luffy when he was vulnerable and at this point haven't gotten to know him enough to understand everything. On another note, I really miss the state fair. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	7. Day 7: Sick Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They sat on the couch together with their dinner, a movie playing in the background. Luffy watched with a small smile as Law tried valiantly to keep his dinner safe from Sunny, who was practically drooling onto Law’s lap, “No, down. Down. You don’t see me hounding you for your dinner.”
> 
> “I’m sorry that you have to deal with me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set four years after Ace died so Law and Luffy have been married for a little under two years. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Dark thoughts, mentions of death, violence and past injuries

A ‘sick day’ for them, did not inspire the typical images of chicken soup, humidifiers and cough medicine. No, they both had strong immune systems, neither one falling under the weather often. Most times their designated ‘sick days’ were because they got hurt or a past injury or condition had caught up to them enough to make them unable to go about with normal life. 

Today seemed to be one of those days.

Both of them had felt ragged, the turning of the seasons from the end of fall into the winter leading to increased rainfall and not the pleasant kind. The rapid continuous changing of barometric pressure was causing their scars to ache. 

Law had managed to get out of bed and go on a run before he called in from work, citing a distrust in his ability to properly use surgical tools. His right arm had a tendency to cramp up if he did any heavy lifting, the nerves going numb in his wrist and fingers sometimes. 

Luffy hadn't even gotten out of bed before he made his decision, calling Carrot to tell her that he wouldn’t be at the docks today. “You sure you’re gonna be alright?”

“Course, boss, don’t worry about it! Blackback and I can handle it,” She leaned away from the phone to shout, “Can’t we?”

“Yep.” A deep voice answered faintly from the other side of the line. 

“Okay.” He giggled, laying back on the pillows, “We don’t have any deliveries scheduled after one, so you two can head home early. I’m gonna get started on our paperwork for the next quarter so scan and email me the shipment invoice after it’s signed.” 

“You got it!” She chirped. 

He smiled even though they couldn’t see it, “You guys are the best. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Feel better!” Then again she shouted over to Blackback, “Tell him to feel better.”

“Feel better, boss.” 

“Bye.” He hung up, tossing the phone aside with a drawn out sigh. There was a part of him that wished that he could just get it together and go to work but his chest that was a mass of scar tissue refused to let that happen today. The rain had made it almost unbearably tight and the thought of having to straighten his spine made him nauseous. He drew his knees up to his chest, huddled under the blankets, trying to hide from the dreary day as he rode out the waves of pain radiating off his chest. 

There was a groan from the bathroom before Law came sauntering out, hair still dripping from the shower, towel wrapped around his waist, curling and uncurling his right fist with a scowl, “I’ve decided it’s best to not attempt shaving today.”

“Ya think?” He grumbled, hugging a pillow to his chest as he peered over his shoulder to take in the sight of the handsome man in front of him, “Can you even hold a pencil right now?”

“It comes and goes.” Luffy was pretty sure that feeling in your hand wasn’t supposed to stop but he wasn’t the doctor. His husband, who was a doctor, leaned over to kiss his cheek, “How are you doing?”

He grimaced, “Sucky.” 

Law pressed another kiss in his hair, saying matter-of-factly, “You’re not going to want to hear this but you need to stretch out.”

Luffy squeezed his eyes shut, feeling nauseous all over again, “I’m gonna scream.”

“I know, sweetheart,” Law murmured sympathetically, rubbing a gentle hand up and down his spine, “I’m almost there myself. You have to loosen up, it’s only going to feel worse otherwise. I’ll do them with you, okay? We’ll do it together.” He nodded in silent agreement, uncurling from the miserable bundle he was in. Law offered Luffy his left hand to help him up, grim determination set in his face yet something incredibly soft in his eyes, “Remember, we’re in an alliance.” 

They had managed to get through the whole routine of stretches without any tears or puking, though at one point Law had to threaten Luffy about forcing a mouth guard in between his teeth if he didn’t stop clenching his jaw so hard. 

He had felt better afterwards, his genius husband right as always and even though the scar was still tighter than usual, and he couldn’t bare to have any fabric touching it- opting to wear an unbuttoned cardigan- it didn’t feel like one of Hancock’s snakes was constricting around his chest anymore. 

He had gotten a good amount of work done on his laptop, camped on a bean bag in the office while Law worked at the desk. In between filling out spreadsheets, checking emails and logging invoices into the system he chucked a ball for the dogs to run after, trying to see how far he could throw it down the hall without hitting anything, until Law turned in his swivel chair and gave him a pointed look. 

Finally at around 5 o’clock he decided that he had done enough work for the day and that it was time to get dinner started. He took out a container full of leftover tomato soup from the freezer, thanking his past self for being smart enough to make a big batch last time. Adding a bit of water to the soup pot, he left it to thaw out on the stovetop while he rummaged through the fridge. Sanji was the one who taught him that most foods could be reheated into tasty meals, as long as you put in a little effort into sprucing it up.

He stirred in a package of three cheese tortellini into the soup, letting it cook for a few minutes before he added 2 cups of spinach and let that cook until it was slightly wilted. At this point it was heavenly smelling and bubbling as he ladled the soup into two bowls, topping each with a hefty amount of Parmesan cheese. 

Law was squaring the animals’ away with their dinners, his voice a low croon as he fed them. After a moment of indecision, he took a bottle of red wine from the wine rack, uncorking it and pouring out two glasses. He didn’t normally like drinking but if it helped loosen him up then he was willing to endure the taste. He was planning to go to sleep soon after dinner and hope that when he woke up, he would actually be able to get through a normal day. 

They sat on the couch together with their dinner, a movie playing in the background. Luffy watched with a small smile as Law tried valiantly to keep his dinner safe from Sunny, who was practically drooling onto Law’s lap, “No, down. Down. You don’t see me hounding you for your dinner.”

“I’m sorry that you have to deal with me.” 

Law almost dropped his bowl with how hard he startled, looking at him with blazing eyes, “Don’t apologize, don’t you ever, I chose you.” Luffy’s throat constricted with the burning question of ‘ _why’_ but he forced himself to take another sip of wine.

Law leaned back into the couch cushions, gesturing to himself with one hand, “Besides, I’m not exactly the shining picture of health myself.” The numerous scars accumulated over time- some hidden by tattoos, other not- skin a mismatch of tan and off-white, the haunted look that sometimes lurked behind his eyes, the neat row of stitches encircling his right arm, “I put you through the whole ordeal of my arm getting cut off and reattached a couple months before we got married so we’re even.”

To this day, he didn’t know how Law had managed to get his arm severed because Law refused to tell them. That was fine, they had made an agreement before they had gotten married that they were allowed to keep one secret from each other. That single secret they were allowed to take to the grave with them, everything else was to be shared, every memory, every story and every day going forward. Though his mind had buzzed with questions he would allow Law to keep his own privacy on the topic. 

Besides, if he made Law tell him he would be a hypocrite because Luffy really did think he would die before telling anyone his one secret. That secret and the subsequent losing of Ace had changed him more than any other events he had lived through till that terrible day. It was emblazoned on his skin, terrorized his dreams, shaped his life so drastically with the grief he had gone through and the meeting of the handsome surgeon who had saved his life. Now four years later, he could barely remember what he used to be like before, the memories he had in his mind felt discombobulated, like the person whose eyes he had seen the world through weren’t really his own. He can vaguely imagine being once the one who had drawn people to him with his free spirit and high energy. “Still,” He mumbled wistfully, “I wish you could have seen me before this, I was so different.” 

Law took a careful bite of his soup and pasta so he didn't make a mess on their nice couch, bred with fine manners that Luffy had always lacked, “If I knew you from before, you wouldn’t have been the person I fell in love with.”

He laughed shortly, even to his own ears it sounded harsh, “You think this is a better deal?”

Law put his spoon down, explaining with unending patience, “Baby, one of the things I love the most about you is your ability to recover. You went through unimaginable grief yet, here you are, able to laugh and moving forward. I think that makes you one of the bravest people I know. The world knocks you down and you get right back up to knock it the fuck out with a smile on your face.”

A warmth started to seep through his ruined chest, flooding the aching abyss created when it was with a running thought, _he loves me, he knows me, he understands me, he loves me, he thinks I’m brave, he loves me, he loves…_ Law grinned, “There it is, that’s the one. Hot as shit.”

Luffy snorted before he could help himself, “You’re a freak.”

“Proud of it.” Law declared, picking up his spoon again, “Now, eat your soup before it gets cold.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Hmm, I wonder what happened to Law's arm.) This chapter is a little short, but we have quite a few long ones coming later in the month so hang with me.
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	8. Day 8: First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before he even knew what was happening, Law was stepping forth, shouting, “I’ll take him away from here! Let me take care of him for now! I’m a doctor!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This picks up literally at Law's arrival at the scene of Ace's death and all the chaos that is happening, Law's words and Luffy's actions and injuries are mostly taken from canon so if you watched the anime you know how brutal it was.  
> Content Warnings: Graphic Descriptions of violence and death, extensive description of medical procedures

The first time he met Monkey D Luffy was at Shabody during a festival. He and Kid had been antagonizing each other, thriving off of their snarky, caustic way of dealing with each other, while Killer tried to pretend in vain that he didn’t know them, when there was a commotion in one of the aisles. 

They had watched with interest as a fight erupted and very quickly was put to an end by a short man.

He looked younger than Law for sure, maybe younger than Kid it was hard to tell from this distance, wearing a purple vest, and ugh, were those jorts? A mess of dark hair, with oddly a straw hat hanging from a string around his neck, eyes shining so bright Law could see from here, forearms covered with neon glow stick bracelets, hands curled into fists, one of which dripping with blood with how hard he hit the asshole.

Wow. 

For a moment, it felt like the whole arena went silent and they were all just characters in a show where he was the main protagonist then pandemonium ensured. 

The ensuing brawl led to the whole festival being cancelled, with a whole bunch of people getting arrested while the rest made a mad dash for freedom as the cops flooded the place. Unlike the rest of the people, they strolled out of the building, smirking at the anarchy caused.

Once they had made it a safe distance away they stopped in an alleyway. Killer leaned against a wall, taking a sip from the flask he had snuck in, “Well, this night went to shit.” 

Kid swiped the flask from him bitterly, “Who the fuck was that guy?”

Law peered around the corner, too curious to think straight, “I’m not sure. He was cute though.”

“He was wearing jorts.” Kid argued, with a curl of his lip, like one unfortunate piece of clothing would detract from the overall attractiveness of a person. 

“I want you to take a look at what you’re wearing right now, because it’s literally hurting my eyes to look at you.” Killer snorted, Kid sputtered and lunged for him with a growl. Law jumped away with a laugh that rang loud in the night.

—

He didn’t think he would ever run into the straw hat guy again and much less in the middle of what felt a nightmare. 

There was chaos happening everywhere. The air was thick with smoke and the overwhelming scent of fresh blood, there were bodies strewn everyone, some moving weakly, others dreadfully still, people crying out in fear, in rage, in agony, Shachi was shouting in his ear, Penguin was blubbering nearby, Bepo frantically barking and his mind was a screaming vortex of _Doffy’s going to kill me, Doffy’s going to kill me, Doffy’s going to-_

Then like reaching an eye of a hurricane, he caught sight of a straw hat and the world stilled. 

There was an insane amount of blood covering his slight form, eyes rolled back in his head, completely catatonic for good reason, his chest was gaping open. There was a large man, unconscious too, clutching him desperately and- was that a clown struggling to carry both of them. Before he even knew what was happening, he was stepping forth, shouting, “I’ll take him away from here! Let me take care of him for now! I’m a doctor!”

The air shook, whether with thunder or gunfire, he didn’t know and didn’t care to find out so he repeated desperately, “Hurry! Bring both of them over here!”

The man looked indecisive but finally when the ominous sounds and shouting got louder, half-carried, half-dragged them over, “Do what you can.” Penguin and Shachi were quick to help get them into the back of their yellow van, while Law just stood there watching the world descend further into hell. “Law! We have to get out of here! It’s not safe!” 

He went to turn away when the stranger, who really was a clown, yelled, “Wait a second! You forgot this! Here, catch!” 

Law caught the thrown object with a gasp, “This is…”

Penguin tugged his arm desperately, “Let’s go!”

He shook his head to clear his thought, “Right.” He jumped into the back of the van, which was seriously overcrowded now with two prone figures sprawled out yet he and Penguin managed to squeeze themselves in, slamming the doors behind them, trying to secure their two new patients as Shachi floored it.

There were sirens wailing in the air, helicopter spotlights illuminating the rapidly darkened sky, Bepo was whining in the front seat, Penguin was cataloguing damage estimates out loud and Law had the terrible feeling that he had gotten himself in a mess. 

“If they keep coming, then we’re gonna get captured.” Shachi screeched as the van’s suspension groaned, leaving Penguin and him hunching over trying to keep the two severely injured men from moving too much. 

“Then do something about it.” He muttered through gritted teeth, trying to keep a count of the flickering pulse underneath his grasp that was faint and dangerously irregular. 

Shachi had to shout over the commotion, “What am I supposed to do?!”

He leaned over the front console, “I need you to get your shit together and drive, or do you want me to drive, and you save them?”

“No,” Shachi gulped, “Fine, but this isn’t gonna be legal or pretty.” 

“Has anything we’ve done tonight been?” Penguin cried out, hands red with the blood of strangers.

“We need to get to the hospital _now_ ,” Law stressed, “I can’t do anything in the back of a damn van!”

“Nobody asked you to put them in the back of the van!”

“I won't let them die when I know I can save them.”

Shachi risked a glance to meet his eyes over the edge of his sunglasses, “Are you sure about this?!”

He thought back to when he had been dying and how someone had saved him, thought about his hands coated in blood and tattooed with ‘death’, “Positive.”

It was only by sheer luck that they made it to the hospital without getting arrested or either one of the men dying. Law directed them to park in the ER entrance and was already shouting orders when he hopped out of the van. Whatever nerves he had fell aside to professionalism as he donned on a thick pair of gloves. 

The next eleven hours were a blur.

It was one of the longest stints Law had ever taken at the operating table, as he went into areas he never had before. He was only supposed to be a cardio-thoracic surgeon, but the team that quickly joined him treated every injury the younger man had.

It wasn’t legal, wasn’t really safe, but the staff was too stretched to get four different specialists working on a single person, as the hospital became flooded with other people injured from the disaster site moving quickly into disaster mode and Law wasn’t going to give up the operating room for someone else to take it. 

The first crucial mission has been keeping the patient from flat out dying on the table. There was a need for a major blood transfusion to try to make up for all the blood that had been lost from numerous wounds along with intravenous fluids to rehydrate the body. Antibiotics also needed to be administered intravenously to prevent infection, since he wasn’t nearly coherent enough for oral, and topically wouldn’t work, considering they were going to do an excision as soon as possible. 

There was a whole lot of dead skin on the chest, which was highly susceptible to infection, as well as hindering the recovery process in general. They were still trying to ensure he had proper circulation and breathing so the real work could start when his heart had stopped. 

Law would later learn that Luffy had been given two high doses of pure adrenaline which led to a full on system crash that would have killed him if it wasn’t for Jean Bart, Law’s most trusted anesthesiologist, who began doing compressions. The flat line had continued for a whole minute and a half before they got him back.

Once he finally stabilized, Law started the excision, working as fast as he could while maintaining steady hands. The faster they could get this gaping, burning hole in his body fixed, the better. So extensive was the burn that he could barely think about what lied underneath, probably many internal injuries and bleeding, some of which might have come from the burn itself. 

Law got to experience a rare medical first that night because he was operating on a fourth degree burn over the chest. That high of a degree a burn went entirely through the epidermis, starting to burn into muscles and ligaments. Whatever had gotten into this patient had been very quickly removed as there was very little charring for him to remove but he still had layers of destroyed skin and tissue to get through. 

While Law was doing that with Uni assisting, Ikkaku and Clione worked rapidly to fix up the other injuries. Law didn’t know he had made it out alive, honestly, there were bruises everywhere, cuts ranging from bullet grazes to knives slices, punctures in the abdomen that lead to a tear in the colon wall, several broken ribs, fingers and knuckles, a fractured fibula, torn cartilage in the right knee, all topped off with a severe concussion. 

Finally, the bulk of the work was done where Law felt comfortable passing him to post. Law’s work was only done temporarily, they were going to need to do at least two more reconstructive surgeries soon. He sat on the floor outside the operating room for about an hour, focusing on dealing with what had just happened in the last taxing hours, evaluating the next step as he ran his fingers over the brim of the worn straw hat. 

The first thing Law decided to do was to find out whose life he had saved. Their hospital used iris biometrics for unknown patient identification but there were no known matches in the system and he doubted he could wake him up and ask for his name and birthdate. He got his answer from the older man he had brought in, who had shakily identified himself as Jinbei and the other one as Luffy. He expressed profuse gratitude to Law for saving them, which the surgeon brushed off since it was his job. 

There were two emergency contacts listed for Monkey D Luffy, one for the brother who the coroner had just identified and the other for a grandfather who didn’t pick up Law’s insistent calls. With nothing else to do but wait for Luffy to wake up and the knowledge that wouldn’t be probably for several days, he went back to his apartment. 

Penguin and Shachi had dropped off Bepo and fed both of his white pets while he was in the operating room yet they greeted him faithfully when he came through the door. Law dropped onto the couch with an arm over his eyes, thoroughly exhausted, unable to muster the energy to tug off his boots. Polar draped herself over his legs while Bepo rested his big head on Law’s stomach in companionship as their master struggled to reorient himself. 

Eventually he managed to get upright again, staring at the brightly colored hat that haunted him every time his eyes closed. He had no idea how to properly take care of a straw hat, so he scrubbed blood and dirt off of it as carefully as possible in the sink, treating it with the same care he extended to his own prized furred hat. When he was done, it looked considerably better than before and he thought it would make Luffy happy. ‘Luffy-ya’ he thought, turning the name in his mind over and over, ‘Straw Hat-ya’s name is Luffy.’ 

On the fourth day, Law made the executive choice to go back into the operating room to do a full-thickness skin graft. They had waited that long to make sure there wasn’t an infection in the wound nor a lot of fluid buildup. He was still completely dead to the world but they sedated him anyway, to make sure he wouldn’t wake up. 

They took skin from his groin area- on both sides of his pubic bone- which was actually one of the only spots on his whole body that hadn’t been severely injured. All other viable full-thickness graft sites- forearm, abdomen, area above the clavicle- were just too risky or injured. We took a sizable amount from each inner thigh, because there was a lot of work to be done.

Law stepped back to get a full view of what the injury was like to come to a decision. The burn was like an X on the upper abdomen with a thicker circle at the center that was currently exposed and raw from earlier removal of all the burned skin layers. If he folded the remains of the edges of the skin actually left on the chest to the new layers they were putting on it could make a smaller wound. It would be tight as the skin contracted during the healing process but it was the best they could hope for in keeping the wound from tearing open or risking higher chances of infection. There was no avoiding an extensive scar, even though full-grafts normally produced better cosmetic outcomes, this was just too much. Law wished in the privacy of his own mind that Luffy would forgive him as he stepped back up to the table. 

A little while later, he closed up the straight line incisions on both of the thighs with a row of neat stitches, recommended another operation further in the healing process to break up the scar tissue that was bound to develop and sent Luffy off to get a sterile dressing. 

The skin graft had taken after twenty-seven hours, beginning to connect to the skin surrounding it and making new blood vessels which was something to celebrate, though Luffy’s levels were still very low, they were improving slowly. 

Law kept an almost constant vigil, trying to not keep his hopes up because he had seen things go south quickly for far less injuries. He forced himself to go through the motions of work and life, repeating severely, ‘If he wakes up at all, it would be because of his own willpower. It all depended on whether or not he had the will to live.’ There was nothing else Law could do but wait. 

A week and three days later, Law’s waiting paid off but not in the way he imagined. 

Alarms started blaring, right before the screaming started, loud enough Law could hear from down the hall. He ran past orderlies and nurses with a franticness that startled even himself. 

By the time he had gotten into the room, there was glass everywhere, IV bags puddling on the floor, machines upturned, the bed was on it’s side and Luffy was standing there, eyes frightening with how wild they were, the heaving of his ruined chest, the movements that were erratic yet powerful enough to shake the walls. He didn’t know who Luffy was before this moment, wasn’t a psychologist, but you didn’t need to be to tell that the man raging in front of them was not mentally _there._ He was trapped somewhere they couldn’t reach, lost in incomprehensible amounts of anguish, an animal trapped in a corner whose only thought was fight or flight. 

Jinbei, who had been staying down the hall from Luffy, looked visibly shaken at the show of aggression, “What’ll happen if we just let him be?”

“Well,” Law answered as another attendant got physically thrown into a wall, leaving a clear indent behind as the body slumped to the floor, “To put it bluntly, if his wounds reopen, he’ll probably die.”

An IV stand went through the window and as Law watched, so did Luffy. 

Law stood there in shock while Jinbei went to find and console the grieving young man in privacy, feet rooted in place, mind affixed on the day he had realized that everything he had ever loved had been destroyed and wondered if that crazed look in Luffy’s eyes had been what Doflamingo saw. He is still standing there as the room is cleaned up, equipment replaced and has yet to move when Jinbei comes back with Luffy on his back, calmed down enough that he’s not a harm to himself or anyone else.

Law goes through the methodical process of cleaning and bandaged the newly bloodied knuckles, the dabbing at the cuts on both tear-stained cheeks gently, checking the still-healing chest wound for any tears, prodding at the stitches along the thighs and left side of the abdomen to see if they held through the abuse they were put under, orders a new splint for the shattered fingers on the left hand that had been wrenched out of alignment.

In a daze, he walks out of the room, forgetting about the hat he had been keeping with him for safekeeping until it’s owner had woken up.

The next night, right before his graveyard shift starts, he knocks on the doorframe before entering Luffy’s room. Jinbei has been put into the spare bed, in the hopes that they can prevent another rampage from starting, and there is another older man with long white hair sitting in the provided chair. “Hello,” He greets the room at large in a hopefully warm manner, “We haven’t met officially. I’m Dr.Trafalgar Law. I’ve been your attending physician since you arrived here.”

Luffy, blankets pooled around his narrow waist, covered more in bandages than anything else at this point, regards him with a cock of his head, “Jinbei says I’m supposed to thank you.”

“You don’t have to.” Law dismisses, reaching into his bag to draw out the precious cargo, “Anyway, I believe this is yours.”

There is a gasp of stifled joy before the object is snatched out of his hands, “My hat!”

Law has to fight off a smile as Luffy places the well-loved hat atop his head, bright yellow and red standing out against dark tousled hair and stark white gauze. “There was a clown who gave it to me, I’m not really sure what that’s about.”

“So it was Buggy who got us out,” Jinbei mused, “We’ll have to thank him as well when we see him next.”

“And Croco, he saved us too.” Luffy mumbled, fiddling with the knot of the string. Law is hit suddenly by a blinding flash, a star going supernova captured in the curl of Luffy’s lips, “Thanks, Traffy.” 

“It’s Trafalgar.”

“Yeah, right, Torao.”

The white haired man chuckled.

Law opened his mouth to correct Luffy but reconsidered, "You know what, Luffy-ya, it doesn’t matter. Call me whatever you want, on one condition.”

“What?”

“Just tell me before you plan on jumping out of windows again, I spent a long time fixing you up and I’d like for that work to stay intact or at least let me block off my afternoon to undo the damage.”

Wide eyes turned up at him, still murky with lingering effects of heavy medications and watery from grief but there was a light like sun rays peeking out from behind clouds shining, an inkling of something Law would devote the rest of his life to exploring, “Okay. I'll tell you before next time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You asked for it, you got it. From the very first moment Law laid eyes on Luffy he was sold, Law's expression when he watches Luffy beat the celestial dragon is priceless, everyone else is shocked and this asshole is just grinning with delight. I am not a medical professional but I did some heavy research to try to get this chapter right. I do, however, have a friend who is an anesthesiologist that had to do chest compressions on one guy four times during a procedure which is a wild story.  
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	9. Day 9: Baking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is that what you want?”  
> “Yes.” Luffy rocked back on his heels, grinning, an absolute menace that knew he had just gotten his way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Law and Luffy's seventh year of being married.
> 
> No content warnings needed for this one.

Law had been trying to enjoy a quiet evening with his husband and their pets, having no urge to do anything but curl up on the couch and read one of the latest publications of a medical journal that was discussing clinical genome editing which wasn’t technically his field of study but the article was intriguing, when his husband- laying on the ottoman- groaned, “I’m hungry.”

Without sparing a glance up, he responded, “Good thing we have a whole pantry and fridge full of food for you to choose from.”

“I want dessert.”

“There’s ice cream.” 

“I want something warm.” 

“Take your ice cream and put in the microwave.”

There was another drawn out groan, “Traffy, you’re not helping.”

Law sighed, finally drawing his eyes away from the one sentence he had been trying to get through while they went back and forth, “If you don’t like what we have here then go get whatever you want, sweetie, you have a car for a reason.” 

Luffy, apparently deciding to be stubborn and resistant to any of Law’s good ideas, flopped backwards onto the ottoman, “Then I have to get dressed.” By that he meant getting dressed into something other than the pair of athletic shorts so short that his overlarge t-shirt made it seem like he wasn’t wearing any pants at all which he had been gone to sleep in last night and had been lounging in all day. 

“Go through a drive-thru.” Law suggested, refinding his place in the article so he could try to continue reading in peace.

“Then I’d have to put on shoes so I can drive.” Luffy bemoaned, “I hate driving with bare feet but it’s so much effort to put them on.” That was a blatant exaggeration, all he literally had to do was put his feet into his slip-on sneakers that were already waiting by the door.

“So have something delivered.” Law groused, his patience wearing thin. There was a huff and movement, Luffy finally deciding on some course of action, leaving the ottoman, whatever it was he chose, Law didn’t care. Is what he thought naively before a pair of teeth clamped down on the base of the back of his neck. He yelped at the sudden sensation, limbs jerking in reflex, Polar being dislodged from her place on his lap, medical journal going flying across the room, the dogs jumping up in alarm, “Ow, ow,  _ ow _ , stop biting me!” 

Luffy’s breath whuffed in his ear as his teeth unclamped to demand, “Help me make cookies.”

Law rubbed the back of his neck where there were bound to be bitemarks, twisting to scowl at his husband who had launched the assault from behind the couch, “Is that what you want?”

“Yes.” Luffy rocked back on his heels, grinning, an absolute menace that knew he had just gotten his way. 

“Fine.” Law hissed, standing up to stomp over to the kitchen, “I want you to understand how absolutely ridiculous and infuriatingly insufferable you can be.” 

“Thanks, babe.” 

He resolutely ignored the gratitude, wrenching the fridge open to search for any premade cookie dough that they often tended to buy yet finding none, “Did you eat all of the cookie dough?” 

“Yeah.” Luffy answered without shame, “Once the package is opened, it’s game over.” 

Law rummaged through the fridge for the carton of eggs, “I am not making them from scratch, so you’re going to have to settle for box mix. Grab the mix, the sugar, cinnamon and vegetable oil from the pantry.” 

“Kay!”

He placed the egg carton on the counter then preheated the oven to 350F before grabbing a large spoon, a mixing bowl, one smaller bowl and a liquid measuring cup from the cabinets. Cake mix cookies were a staple in the Monkey-Trafalgar household, an easy recipe that Killer had taught Law when he was still a bachelor and at this point they could practically make them with their eyes closed. All it required was a box of cake mix, two eggs and a half-cup of oil though they usually went to the extra effort of putting in mix-ins or coating the cookies in something like they were planning to do now. 

Luffy poured a mixture of white sugar and cinnamon into the smaller bowl as Law dumped the bag of cake mix- spice flavored in honor of the fall season- into the mixing bowl, then added the eggs and measured vegetable oil. He shoved the bowl over to Luffy to do the actual hard work of mixing since he was the one who wanted the cookies so badly, opting to complete the task of lining two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

When Luffy had thoroughly mixed it into a nice thick batter, they made an assembly line where Law would portion out equal amounts with the cookie scoop which Luffy would roll into the sugar and cinnamon until it was fully coated then deposit it onto the waiting cookie sheets. In no time they had made forty eight snickerdoodles ready to go into the oven for around fourteen minutes or as long as it took for the edges to become browned. Law forced Luffy to clean up the kitchen with both Sunny and Bepo hovering around very much interested in the nice smell coming from the oven, returning to the couch to apologize to Polar for so rudely displacing her earlier and finish the article before the timer rang.

Luffy burned the roof of his mouth in his haste to get the dessert he had so desperately wanted, causing Law to roll his eyes fondly as he spooned out vanilla ice cream into two bowls. 

After he had taken the first bite of the snickerdoodle mixed with slightly melted ice cream, a spoonful that was full of nothing but wonderful flavors he had to agree with his husband, having warm cookies with ice cream was infinitely better than having no cookies with ice cream and far simpler than trying to go out and get some at this time of night. 

Later, he placed their dishes into the dishwasher, asking his husband who was placing leftover cookies into tupperware, “Are you happy now?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” Law said with a wicked smile, advancing slowly, “Because I think I need to pay you back for that bite earlier.” 

Luffy shrieked, trying to throw himself onto the floor to avoid Law’s reach but wasn’t fast enough, one hand got around his upper arm and the other was quick to grasp the opposite hip to haul him upwards. Law pressed him against the kitchen counter, gnawing lightly at the supple skin that made up his husband’s neck, mouthing and kissing passionately, leaving Luffy to clutch tight to him in an effort to stay upright, dissolving into uncontrollable giggles, the familiar  _ shishishi _ filling the air that still had the lingering aroma of freshly baked cookies in it. 

Law thought that life couldn’t be sweeter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I too, like Luffy, get sudden cravings for warm desserts; cookies fresh from the oven with ice cream is the shit. Now let me tell you something, if you want the softest, easiest cookies ever, you just follow the recipe Law and Luffy did. My favorite cake mixes to use is either Spice rolled in cinnamon and sugar or Lemon flavor rolled in just sugar. Back before Covid, I would make these cookies for all of my coworkers on special occasions and you can bang out 180 of them so fast. I find the chocolate to be pretty dry and regular vanilla and yellow don't have enough flavor to work well as cookies. Don't get any cake mixes that are extra moist though, they'll mess up the ratios and you'll get hard cookies. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	10. Day 10: First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the recent weeks, they had stepped up their game, what had been nonchalant flirting had escalated into more charged exchanges, things that could have been brushed off as coincidences had been acknowledged as effort to make the other happy, their touches were more frequent and intentional.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place a little over a year after Ace dies, Law and Luffy have not begun officially dating yet.
> 
> Content Warnings: Mentions of illegal activities and death

If you had told Luffy that he would fall in the love with a man he met the day his older brother died, he would have first, punched you in the face for daring to suggest that his big brother would ever die, then secondly, laugh in your face because he didn’t fall in love.

He had heard and watched romantic stories while he grew up, been surrounded by couples in love for most of his life, he loved all sorts of people that he had encountered along the way, but the act of falling in love was completely foreign. The way he had seen it, falling in love meant a slow buildup to becoming more intimate, and he didn’t do that. He loved immediately, without hesitation, latched onto people until they learned to love him back, but he would never fall in love himself. Which is what he thought before his heart had been shattered by the death of his brother and he felt like he would feel nothing again except for mind-numbing grief and crippling pain mixed with anger. 

But throughout it all, there was Law, consistent and unfailing in his efforts to keep Luffy from falling into the abyss. He had saved Luffy from certain death, been the one who led all of surgeries, kept him company in the hospital while he recovered enough to be released, when Luffy had confessed that he didn’t have a home anymore Law had offered up his apartment. He had let Luffy crash on the couch, bundled up in borrowed blankets and pillows, came out from the bedroom every night to see that Luffy was sleeping peacefully. He had been there for every attack, made a chart on the fridge to track the patterns of episodes, what would set him so it could be avoided, what was guaranteed to make him feel better. He had introduced Luffy to his group of friends, many of whom were now Luffy’s friends as well, and not in the type of friend who was only yours because you knew their friend, but actual friends who made Luffy laugh, had begun to know him and make him start to feel like he could live a normal life again. 

There was Law, who had numerous secrets. Luffy had found the gun strapped to the mattress, found the gun under the kitchen sink and the knives tucked neatly in between folded ties in the dresser. He had seen the dried blood encrusted on the bottom of Law’s favorite black heeled boots, seen the meticulously-kept ledgers wedged between thick medical tomes, seen the little glass jars in the medicine cabinet. A while ago he would have leapt at the chance to uncover the mysteries of the man he’s being housed by, the surgeon who has ‘death’ tattooed on his knuckles, who was probably involved into something much more interesting than just being a doctor, but he hadn’t possessed the energy for an adventure in over a year and had found himself much more interested in the discovering the person beneath the veneer. 

The person who collected coins, had shown them off proudly seemingly unaware of how incredibly dorky that was. The person who had an affinity for snow white animals, with two separate cars and no dining table, who apparently loved musicals and manga, had been appalled by Luffy’s admission that he hadn’t seen the ‘classics’. Law had instituted a weekly movie night, claiming that Luffy was horribly uneducated in the history of film, endeavoring to spend his free time teaching his new roommate about how much he was missing. New movies would be watched through without pause so that Luffy could get the full ‘cinematic experience’ then later they would rewatch it and Law would give a spiel over whatever they had been watching, often giving long lectures about the script’s plot, the movie’s execution and behind the scenes facts. 

At first Luffy didn’t understand why someone who was so busy with work would want to sit in his apartment on his rare nights off and watch movies he had already seen with a stranger when he could have been hanging out with his friends or family. He was starting to see it now because all those little gestures of buying groceries that Law had learned Luffy enjoyed most, the continuous stream of texting they kept up as a way to keep Luffy grounded and informed, the impassioned recitation of memorized trivia, driving them around just so Luffy could get out of the small apartment, sharing beloved pets that meant Luffy didn’t have to sleep alone, was a display of intimacy.

He had always been the one who took the leap, he had never been loved first before. He had never been able to feel emotions in the gaze of another person and knew that he was the one who could make the choice of what would happen next. It filled him with a terror he had never known to have the trust of another person’s love, it excited parts of him that had never been awakened to be on the precipice of something brand new.

In the recent weeks, they had stepped up their game, what had been nonchalant flirting had escalated into more charged exchanges, things that could have been brushed off as coincidences had been acknowledged as effort to make the other happy, their touches were more frequent and intentional. 

Tonight, they hadn’t been able to come to a consensus over what movie they wanted to watch so Law had put on the stage recording of the 25th Anniversary of the Phantom of the Opera, which Luffy was convinced that Law was high-key obsessed with because this was the sixteenth time that they had sat through the performance since Luffy had moved in. 

It had been one of the first films that Law had ever forced him to watch, insisting that Luffy would love it. They had watched it all the way to the bows before Luffy admitted that he had no idea what was going on. Law had immediately re-winded the two hour and forty minute film to the beginning and had begun to break down every scene for Luffy which turned into a whole four hour ordeal. Two more times through in the following week and Luffy was sold. It was now their go-to. 

Law had been humming along quietly since the overture began, watching the plot unfold as they sat on the floor, leaning against the front of the couch with the remains of a delivery dinner on the coffee table in front of them. The sides of their adjacent thighs and shoulder blades were pressed together even though there was plenty of space for them not to be.

They had reached “The Music of the Night”, where the Phantom sang to Christine in various levels of intensity, his words crafted as carefully as a poem. Law, without drawing his eyes away from the screen, murmured, “This is one of the best written arias ever in my opinion.”

“Yeah,” Luffy mumbled back, hand curling around Law’s tattooed forearm, “I love this song. The Phantom’s twisted, but he just wants to be loved.” Law looked down at their new point of contact and just following his golden gaze made Luffy’s throat swell tight around the sentence he choked out, “He’s desperate for it.”

Law reached over with his other hand, taking Luffy’s hand from where it rested to lay over it his chest, which rumbled as he began to sing along with the movie,

“ _Close your eyes and let music set you free_

_Only then can you belong to me_ ” 

Luffy almost gasped out loud, because his voice was incredibly beautiful, rich and thick like honey that seemed to weave it’s way through the air. It was an inornate thing, sung hushed under the breath, not a concert, or a performance, more like the private presentation of a lullaby to a child. No one had sung to him like that since Ace. The scar on his chest throbbed, heart raw and he strained to focus on the profile of Law’s face, illuminated only by the glow of the television. Law drew his eyes up from their intertwined fingers, taking a slight breath as he continued to serenade, “ _You alone can make the song take flight._ ”

Their eyes wandered each other’s faces, searching for some sort of signal as they began to draw nearer to each other. Law took another breath which Luffy could feel as close as they were, voice drifting to a calando tenderly, “ _Help me make the music of the night._ ” 

The musical score had swelled as their lips touched each other for the first time. 

A kiss had never felt like this for Luffy before; it was like digging a well, searching for life-giving water only to get nothing but buckets of dry dirt then finally breaking through that last layer, and suddenly the well was filling up, gushing forward, fresh, sparkling and overabundant. He tilted his head, hands clutching at Law’s shoulders, chasing the feeling, the high of being seen, known and _loved_. 

Eventually, they had to break away, dizzy from exhilaration and lack of air. Law shook his head as if in disbelief yet the curl of his lips contained the most brilliant smile Luffy had ever seen him make, long fingers brushing over Luffy’s flushed cheeks, seemingly lost in the twinkle of his kaleidoscope eyes then Law plunged forward again, a man finding an oasis in the desert, to recapture his lips.

The film had continued to play, moving along with the plot but they were lost in the world they were building with every kiss. 

And the rest, as they say, was history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks at Law, who is one of the sexiest, most badass characters in the whole series, presented first as a dangerous wild card who also canonically collects coins and reads comic books: it's the duality of man. If you haven't deduced it by now in this AU, Law is the one who falls in love first and it's through this love that Luffy is able to heal from the worst pain of his life. Also if you'll please imagine Law acting like James A Janisse from Kill Counts, I think that presents a pretty accurate mental image of what it's like to watch movies with someone who intimately knows the source material. And no, I will not argue, the 25th anniversary recording is the best one. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	11. Day 11: Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As a principle, Law didn’t do motels, he had been bred better than to accept such subpar conditions, he would rather sleep in his van where he knew things had been sterilized in the last month, than risk it in some seedy motel, which meant they had limited options when being spontaneous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Can we all just agree that Luffy is somewhere on the A-Spectrum? C'mon watch the anime, the evidence is right there.) This one takes place while Luffy and Law are still just dating and are trying to learn more about each other and what they want in their relationship. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Mentions of past sexual coercion, semi-graphic depiction of a hand job

They were on day two of their road trip, a journey that they set on together, for no reason besides the fact that Law had vacation days to spare and no real destination in mind besides getting out of the city. The first day they had driven for the sake of driving, following whatever roads looked the most interesting and stopping whenever they felt like it. They had taken turns sleeping in the passenger seat throughout the night and had stopped for breakfast in time to see the sun rise. 

After pouring over maps for a bit as they ate their breakfast, they finally settled on an actual destination, a national park further west, deeper inland than their home city along the coast, that boasted numerous hiking trails and miles of rivers with kayaks available to rent. They would arrive in the town closest to the park this evening and would take the whole next day exploring the park, spend another night in town then start heading back home the following morning. 

They had been having a good time so far, taking turns driving as they told each other stories and sang along to the radio with a whole bunch of food gathered from convenience stores and mom-and-pop shops they had encountered along the way strewn about. Law was driving currently, with the windows down, sunglasses on and absolutely killing it as he sang along to one of his favorite songs,

_ “But I'm 6'3", baby, with boots on _

_ If you think you can beat me, I'm nothin' to walk on _

_ It’s all in the strut  _

_ Yeah _

_ Now I’m rockin' Versace with my dog _

_ In my shades, I’ma slay one day, y'all _

_ I'ma fuck up a check and spend it all _

_ Gonna have a tequila kind of day _

_ Hey, hey” _

He pushed on the gas pedal a little harder than necessary, swept away in the feeling of the wind streaming through the cab and singing out of the open window, the words getting whipped out his mouth and left in the air behind them, more free and happy than he could remember being in a while,

_ ’Cause the stranger you are  _

_ They wanna keep you locked in the dark _

_ Said the stranger you are _

_ They gonna try to tear you apart _ ”

As the song shifted to it’s musical interlude, he head banged along to the drums, fully prepared to jump back passionately into the chorus when he noticed Luffy was smiling at him funnily. He dialed down the volume, shouting over the sound of the wind, “It’s a good song, huh?”

“Yeah.” Luffy shouted back but there was a pinched expression on his face that made Law roll up the windows so they didn’t have to scream at each other anymore. He kept the song on, humming, still generally vibing. “I wanna have sex.”

Law’s whole body jerked on some sort of triggered reflex, his hands gripping the steering wheel pulling left causing the entire van to swerve suddenly into the opposite lane so quickly his seat belt tightened to hold him in place, “Shit!” 

Luffy shrieked, bracing himself against the center console as his weight was thrown to the Law’s side, “I’m sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine.” He grit out as he hurried to reorient the car’s positioning yet not overcorrect in a way that would make the situation more dangerous. Luckily, the road they were on had been empty for the last five miles, no cars coming from the opposite direction for them to have a head on collision with or a car on the left taking advantage of dotted yellow to pass them that he would have sideswiped. 

“It’s fine.” He stressed again, now fully in his lane and released his foot from the gas pedal to decelerate. “Thank fuck, we weren’t on some crowded highway or that would have been a nightmare. I could’ve changed so many lives.” 

Luffy resettled in his seat, adjusting his seatbelt, looking at Law with his mouth open that meant he wasn’t finished with that train of thought that almost caused them to crash. “Before you go on,” Law interrupted, “Let me pull over. We need gas anyway.”

When they were safely at the nearest gas station, the pump automatically filling up the tank, Law leaned against the side of the van, exhausted from the nerves. Luffy was leaned up beside him, fidgeting with a bottle of water, still  _ looking _ at Law with that odd mix of apprehension and boldness. “You want what?”

“I wanna have sex with you.”

“What?”

“I want you and me to do it.”

“Why?”

“I thought,” Luffy’s pretty face crumpled, lip wobbling, “I thought you liked me.”

“I do!” Law assured hurriedly, running a hand through his hair, “It’s just, we’ve never had this conversation before, so excuse me for needing time to fully wrap my head around it.”

Luffy looked like he was ready to go on the defensive, tilting his head away as he huffed, “We don’t have to.”

“I know we don’t.” He reached out to take Luffy’s hand, keeping his voice steady, “I’m not opposed to the idea but it’s not going to happen in the van or in that disgusting bathroom. I propose we hold off on this conversation until we reach the hotel for the night.”

Luffy’s eyes searched his face for a long moment before he nodded, “Okay.”

They switched off positions since it was about time anyway, Luffy occupying the driver’s seat to take them the final stretch of the journey for the day, going to find them a place to eat dinner before they turned in for the night.

Law was trying to seem casual as he frantically searched the internet on his phone for places to make reservations in the town they were headed to. This road trip had been planned very last minute, which was so unlike Law, he was meticulous in planning any kind of event or trip that was just the kind of person he was. As a principle, Law didn’t do motels, he had been bred better than to accept such subpar conditions, he would rather sleep in his van where he knew things had been sterilized in the last month, than risk it in some seedy motel, which meant they had limited options when being spontaneous. They had slept in the van last night, not a conducive environment for a great first time together, especially since Law didn’t pack the blow up mattress. 

If they were going to have sex, which Law was pretty sure the evening was heading to, and wow, that made his stomach do flips and his palms sweat in a physical reaction concocted by really liking someone. It was crazy to think that it was going to happen finally, yet startling to think it was going to finally happen.

After their first kiss, things had developed naturally. They had already been living together for months so all Law had to do was let Luffy into the bedroom and they were set. They were always touching each other in some way, hands swinging between them as they walked, legs twisted together if they sat, at night they would sleep curled around each other. Law’s hands found their place around Luffy’s waist, Luffy would find his spot in Law’s lap. They would rest their foreheads together and gaze into each other’s, play games to make each other laugh whether by the scuffing of facial hair or the feeling of hot breath on the back of the neck, devious hands tickling, wandering caresses. They kissed goodbye at the start of every workday and kissed goodnight at the end of each day. Yet no matter how close or heated they got, they had yet to have sex. It wasn’t a problem for Law, not really, he was more than happy to let Luffy take the lead and initiate things as he pleased so there was no worry of doing something that might offend the younger man, but he would  _ also _ be happy if they did decide to be together more intimately. Apparently, Luffy had decided that this trip was the time and for that Law was eager to please. 

This morning, he had originally booked them a regular hotel, nothing too fancy but had rooms inside of the building and complimentary breakfast. Now, with the prospect of higher stakes looming, Law was looking for something better, probably some place with room service because he was classy like that. He found a place thankfully, that he thought would work and booked a reservation for two nights.

A few hours later, they had dinner at a diner and Law made himself eat his cheese fries with some semblance of normalcy. Luffy seemed unsurprisingly nonchalant over what prospects what for them when they turned in for the night, eating his dinner with his usual gusto. 

Law drove them the last bit towards the hotel, the address pulled up on the GPS, tattooed fingers drumming nervously on the steering wheel. As they checked in, Law was possessed with a feeling of uneasy anticipation, it wasn’t uncomfortable per se but it definitely was far cry from the causal closeness that they had built up. The atmosphere felt heavy with the forthcoming conversion and the activities that they might engage in later in the evening.

Without any social guidance of how to initiate a talk about the topic, Law went headfirst, “We’ve never shied away from each other physically but we haven’t talked about it before. What prompted this?”

“I heard you jack off.”

Law felt his mouth go dry, “Oh.” The last time he had done that was four nights ago when they were packing for the road trip. He had been taking a shower and had gotten wound up, he had tried to be discrete, “My apologies, I should have been quieter or turned the music up louder-”

Luffy waved him off with a twinkle in his eyes, “It’s okay, Traffy, we’re dating. I don't mind knowing that you like me enough to get off on your own.”

Well, that was good to know. It made things infinitely less awkward and he wasn’t so hesitant in continuing the discussion with the knowledge. He could still feel the tips of his ears burning as he shoved his hands into his pockets, “Full disclosure, you’re not my first. I got around a bit before we met but I’m clean.”

“I know, I saw your results.”

“Was leaving them on the counter not subtle enough?”

“I had to find out somehow and I figured it was a weird thing to bring up.”

“Right and I know that you’re clean because I have access to your medical records.”

“You’re not my first either.” Luffy said plainly, kicking his heels against the side of the bed frame. 

“Really? I didn’t think that you- what I mean is, you...uh.” For the first time in a long time Law was absolutely flummoxed, “I’m sorry, I’m struggling to phrase this.” Eventually he managed to pull his thought together to form a coherent sentence, “I didn’t think you were interested in that sort of thing, you had never given me the impression- not that there is a definitive impression, it’s just,” He met Luffy’s eyes seriously, admitting in a soft voice, “There have been ample opportunities for us to go farther and you didn’t take them so I assumed that you didn’t want them and that’s perfectly fine. The change of mindset has me a bit confused.”

Luffy silently patted the bed beside him and Law sat down so they were face to face. They sat there for a good minute before Luffy started to speak, “I’ve had sex with people before but it was something I did, not something I really enjoyed or wanted to do again or in the first place, to be honest.”

Law had to bite his lip hard in order to stay quiet as he rode out waves of white hot anger,  _ someone, somewhere _ had taken advantage of a situation and forced something that should never be forced and Law wanted so badly to find them to flay them open. 

Luffy, unaware of Law’s internal rage, continued, “I was always confused when people talked about sex stuff, being ‘attracted’ to other people in that way. When I tried to ask, they would say I was a late-bloomer that it would happen later, except it never did, but I couldn’t really say why it didn’t and why I didn’t want to exactly so it felt like a lame excuse and I just did it anyway.” 

“That wasn’t okay. There doesn’t have to be a reason besides ‘no’.” Law stressed, “I need you to understand that.”

Luffy nodded, “I do now. I’ve learned my lesson.”

Law buried his head in his hands, trying to ignore how his whole body shook with the wanting to scream  _ it shouldn’t have had to be learned, it shouldn’t have ever happened, what the fuck, who the fuck could do something like that _ -

A touch on his shoulder drew him from his thoughts. He was struck with the gentleness that radiated off Luffy, the light that shone from his dark eyes like stars in the night, “It’s different with you. I’ve been realizing lately that I want to be with you, to share that with you too. When I heard you in the shower I got excited, I haven’t felt like that before.”

With a sigh, Law took Luffy’s hand, lifting it up to kiss the back of his significant other’s palm in a gesture he wished was equal parts reassuring and loving, “So hearing me, made you realize that you wanted it? Because you had confirmation the feeling was mutual.”

“Kinda.” Luffy shrugged, “I knew you wanted it then.”

“That is a want though, not a need, which is all on me. It doesn’t have to involve you if you don’t want it to. I don’t need to have to sex.” He clarified, “I don’t want to have sex with you if it isn’t something you want a hundred percent, not just because you think I want. I am perfectly fine with never doing anything with you besides being with you, holding your hand, sleeping in the same bed, making out, I’m down for that as long as you are.” He looked down at their clasped hands, “If you want more truly, then we can do more.”

“I want it.” Luffy said with absolute conviction, “I want to have sex with you and I want it to mean something.” 

“Alright,” Law agreed, “Now that we’ve talked about, there’s no rush. I’m not in the mood right tonight and we have a full day tomorrow so why don’t we go to sleep?”

“Okay.” Law hoped that it wasn’t a disappointment but he knew there was no way he could perform tonight in good conscience with everything he had learned and had yet to digest.

The next day was infinitely better, they had resolved to put the past behind them and enjoy the present, spending hours at the national park, hiking and kayaking around while delighting in each other’s company. 

That night, back in the hotel room, Law knelt down to untie Luffy’s shoelaces to take them off, in a show of nothing intended as more than quiet care when a hand was placed on either one of his shoulders. He looked up to see Luffy smiling down at him before leaning down so their lips could meet. 

They kissed for a while passionately, then Law was moving up and forward and Luffy was going backwards to lay on the mattress with Law bracketing his smaller form. They fit together like they were made for it, slotting into place chest to chest, much like when they were cuddling except this time Luffy was grinding upwards into his crotch and he didn’t have to try to hide how that made him feel. He drew away to lock eyes for a final confirmation, “This is what you want?”

Luffy grinned, cheeks the most lovely shade of pink that Law yearned to bite, “There’s nothing I want more.”

It was the easiest thing in the world for Law to press sweet kisses into the crook of Luffy’s neck, who stroked up and down Law’s back, nails scraping lightly while he traced the tattoos that had been inked there. He nipped and mouthed as his hand drifted lower, slipping between layers of fabric and heated skin to encircle around a part of Luffy’s body he had never had the pleasure of touching before.

He moved his hand up and down slowly, the friction between their skin enough to make his member twinge in it’s confinement. After a few minutes with a whine, Luffy lifted his head off the mattress to squint at what was happening, “That’s all you’re gonna do?”

Law chuckled, “I can kick a few notches if you want, but let’s take it slow this time.” At the pout Luffy gave he leaned up to kiss Luffy’s forehead, murmuring, “Don’t worry, it’s not like it’s going to be the last time.”

And it most certainly wasn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, when I set out to write this chapter I knew that I wanted it to be their first time and in the name of healthy communication they needed to talk before, I did not expect however for the conversation to take that turn. I guess I'm projecting a bit as someone on the A-Spec but it was always infuriates me with how society deals with the act of having sex.   
> Song is "Stranger You Are" by Adam Lambert, seriously he's great, cannot stress that enough, check him out. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	12. Day 12: Enchanted Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One day there came a monster, who was as big as a mountain which had teeth as sharp as swords. Every time it’s feet landed on the ground, the earth shook. It was feared by everyone because it swallowed everything in its path and left nothing but despair and destruction behind it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set twenty two years after Law and Luffy get married. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Mentioned death

“ _Once upon a time there was an enchanted forest with trees so large they seemed to touch the sky. Within this forest was a young boy, who was very brave, he swung from branch to branch and climbed to the highest point of the trees without fear of falling._

_He was happy but alone. Within time, the boy grew sad because he had no one to share his happiness with. Now the forest loved the boy so much that it decided to give the boy a gift, two beautiful birds that could sing for him and be with him through life but the birds were unable to leave the forest. For years, they lived in peace and joy, eating fruit from the trees and playing in the shade of the canopy, filling the air with their music._

_Then something happened. It doesn’t matter what. It was nothing important but something did happen. And the boy ran away. He left the forest behind him and traveled on his own through lands he had never explored before. He made new friends too along the way and found himself happy again though he missed the birds and the forest._

_One day there came a monster, who was as big as a mountain which had teeth as sharp as swords. Every time it’s feet landed on the ground, the earth shook. It was feared by everyone because it swallowed everything in its path and left nothing but despair and destruction behind it._

_With every person, every animal, every building and rock and tree it ate, it grew bigger and bigger until it towered higher than the clouds. It made its way through the land, devouring villages whole. The boy and his friends had been hiding in a cave, trying to avoid the monster, until the boy learned that the monster was heading towards the enchanted forest. He left the safety of the cave and his friends behind, hurrying to try and save the forest and the birds from the wrath of the monster._

_In the meadow right before the forest began, the boy faced the monster bravely and fought with all the strength he had but was beaten. And the monster swallowed the boy whole._

_The boy woke up inside of the monster and was confused because he could hear voices in the distance. He found some wood and made a torch which he lit with fire he found in the monster’s belly- see monsters like to swallow fire because it tickles it’s throat. With his torch he was able to see that everything the monster had swallowed whole, was still in one piece and the things that were alive when eaten were still alive._

_The boy wandered among the vast abyss of the monster’s stomach, searching through everything that had been eaten to try and find a way out. When he found another young man, who had also tried to fight and carried a sharp knife with him. See, the man was very smart, had observed how other people had been eaten and thought that maybe there was a way to get free from the inside out._

_The man lacked the strength to slash through the monster’s stomach on his own but together, he and the boy worked to cut through the thick innards, hacking away at it with the knife relentlessly. When one of them got tired, he would pass the knife to the other to take a turn. Eventually they had managed to break through and by doing so killed the monster. Together they stepped hand in hand out of the monster with all the others who had been eaten. They were met by the boy’s friends who embraced them joyfully since they thought the boy had been killed when he was eaten. For a moment the boy was relieved that his friends were safe and everyone was freed but then he saw that it was too late, and while the enchanted forest was still there, the birds were nowhere to be found._

_He, the man, and his friends, searched through the forest day and night looking for the lost birds but were unable to find them._

_During their search, they found a fish who lived in the stream that ran through the forest who told them that he had witnessed how the birds had tried valiantly to save the forest but one had been killed and the other had been knocked out of the sky and had yet to be seen from again._

_The boy wept bitter tears for the loss of the birds when there was the sound of a familiar song then the other bird came flying down from the treetops, injured yet alive._

_The bird and boy embraced with the boy crying tears of joy because while he had lost one, he still had the other bird, the man, his friends and the enchanted forest and that was enough_.” 

“That’s it?!”

Luffy shrugged nonchalantly, “Yeah.”

Ignis, seven years old and becoming more inquisitive about the world every day, looked very indignant for a kid tucked into a bed with patterned race car sheets, “That’s how the story ends? With one of the birds dying?”

“Yep.”

Big blue eyes pouted up at him, “That’s so sad!”

Luffy hummed, “I guess, but it’s not the saddest ending. Didn’t you hear the last line of the story? The boy may have lost one of the birds but he had a lot of other things to make him happy.”

“It would’ve been a happier story if both the birds lived.” Ignis mumbled, looking down at his fists curled on top the bedsheets. 

“It would be,” Luffy agreed in a gentle voice, “Except we don’t always get to have what we want in life or keep all we do have.” He reached out to smooth a hand through brown bangs, “Sometimes, the things we do get, no matter how small, have to be enough. If you always keep looking for more, for the happiest possible ending, you’ll miss out on the joy of what you already got.” He smiled, admitting, “It took me a while to understand it too.” 

Ignis was still contemplating his words when there was a light knock on the open door. Luffy turned to look and there was his husband of twenty-two years in all his glory, leaning against the doorframe, hiding a smile in his beard, “Are we about wrapped up here, because if I wasn’t mistaken, there are plans for an early wakeup time so a trip to the aquarium can be made. Unless, of course, there are objections?”

“No!” Ignis cried out, shuffling down so he was further under the covers as indication that he was ready to sleep, “We’re done!”

Luffy stood up with a stretch of his arms above his head and a yawn, “Yeah, we’re good. It’s time for us adults to go to bed too. Surume will keep you company, right?” The Newfoundland gave a low woof in agreement, eagerly hopping onto the bed to occupy Luffy’s newly vacated spot. 

Ignis giggled, practically buried underneath a hundred and forty pounds of dog. Luffy, grinned fondly, giving the guard dog a scratch behind the ears before tucking the blankets around the boy snuggly, leaning forward to place a kiss on the forehead as he cooed, “Goodnight, firefly”

“Sleep tight, kiddo.” Law said from his place by the door, golden eyes glowing in the dim light, illuminated from behind by the hallway sconces that soon became the only source of light as Luffy turned the lamp on the nightstand off. 

“Night.” Ignis called back as they closed the door behind them.

Luffy sighed, reaching up to wound his arms around his husband’s neck, sinking into the loving embrace of a body he knew as well as his own. Law kissed him once on the cheek then nuzzled his way to get their lips together, after a moment he drew away to ask, “Which story was it tonight?”

“Ours.” Luffy purred as calloused hands kneaded at the base of his spine. 

Law hummed between their pressed lips, “That’s a good one.”

“The best.” Luffy agreed and they hadn’t even reached the end of their happily ever after yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did a little something different today, it's a bit short but I'm happy with how it turned out. Bonus points if anyone can guess whose kid that was. (Here's a hint, it's not Law and Luffy's.)
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	13. Day 13: Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Okay.” Law confirmed, “We’ll get brunch, there’s a diner down the street that you’ll love.”
> 
> Luffy turned to grin at him, "That sounds awesome." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place the day that Luffy gets out of the hospital after Ace's death and Law is taking him home. 
> 
> Content Warnings: None

Law had moved out of the family house and into an apartment when he was 19, after he had completed his residency and moved onto a fellowship at a prestigious hospital in a city an hour and a half away. He was the only one of his age group to leave the family house and for the first time in his whole life he lived alone. 

It only took him seven weeks before he caved and got Bepo to share his life with. Three days after that he met Penguin and Shachi, who frequently invited themselves over to hang out at his place. Four months after that he got Polar from a shelter to keep Bepo company when he was at work and the apartment didn’t feel so quiet anymore. 

Five years later, he finally got himself another new roommate. 

He offered to take Luffy home, a suggestion that earlier would have brought about comments of unprofessionalism but at that point Luffy had caused several thousands dollars worth of property and equipment damage so they agreed without much fuss. He foots the bill for the destruction, pays the large hospital bill accrued and cleaned his apartment up in preparation for the new guest.

Luffy was all ready to go when Law came to pick him up, having gone through all of the release procedures and been given the spiel of restrictions which was a little redundant considering he was going home with the person who had put him back together. All he had with him was a small drawstring bag that had the small amount of possessions he had managed to accrue since his time in the hospital. He had nothing left with him from when Law brought him in, not even his clothes had survived, only his lone straw hat.

His car was waiting in the staff parking garage and Law unlocked the car, pressing a button on the passenger door that caused the door to open and swung upwards. “Wow!” 

Law chuckled at the delighted expression, “I hoped you might like it.” He had brought his silver Lamborghini Aventador to pick Luffy up on purpose because he thought the other man would enjoy it’s scissors doors. He helped Luffy into the car, making sure he didn’t strain his chest or hit his hurt leg on the side panel, “It’s a special occasion. This is your first time in the outside world in over six weeks.” 

Luffy looked around at the interior of the sport car, holding his bag in his lap while Law got in on the other side. Law started up the engine, a loud purring rumble that he asked over, “Are you up for a trip to a restaurant for dinner or is a drive through or takeout better?”

“Anything’s good, I just want real food.”

“That can be arranged.”

Later, after a celebratory dinner to a sushi place that Law liked, they had arrived at the apartment complex. Law led Luffy from the parking lot down the hall of the first floor of where his apartment was. He unlocked the door, opening it for Luffy to enter as he flickered the light switch that controlled the entryway’s light. Before they had even made it fully into the door, a huge snow white dog with a neon orange collar came barreling over. Law hurried to grab Bepo by the collar, straddling the dog on both sides with his legs to force Bepo to sit. 

Bepo’s whole body wiggled, tail thumping on the carpet as he stared at their new arrival. Law chuckled, “That’s Bepo, you’ve seen pictures of him but it doesn’t do justice. He's very well trained so don’t worry, he won't jump on you. This is just a precaution because you're so new.”

Luffy’s face was an expression of pure joy that Law hadn’t seen from him yet and he lowered himself to the ground as carefully as he could manage with his excitement, “He’s a big boy! Hi, puppy!”

“He’s not much of a puppy anymore,” Law said, massaging Bepo’s ears, “He’ll be six soon.” 

Luffy cooed nonsense, offering his palm for the dog to smell, laughing outright when Bepo licked his palm. Law was happy to see them get along, leaving them to familiarize themselves while he took off his jacket and shoes in the entryway. He helped Luffy stand up, beginning the tour of his small one-bedroomed apartment. “This is the kitchen, your usual appliances, trash can is in the laundry nook with the washer and dryer.” 

A white cat sat on the kitchen countertop, regarding the stranger with unblinking eyes, “That’s Polar,” Law introduced, “She’s deaf, it’s a common trait in white cats. It’s not much of a problem just make sure to flick the lights when you come in and when you leave so she knows.” 

“Gotcha.” 

“Alright,” He continued the tour, pointing to the closest door by the entryway, “That door is to the bathroom, it’s jack-and-jill styled so through the opposite door is my bedroom.” He pointed to another door that was on the adjacent wall, “That door also leads to my bedroom, feel free to knock on either one. Here,” He gestured broadly, “Is the living room. I sat up the couch with a clean pair of extra sheets and pillows and there’s like five blankets so take your pick. I thought that tomorrow we could go and get bedding that you liked and some more clothes for you. I pulled out some pajamas for you to borrow tonight but I guessed you’d want some of your own.”

Luffy ran his fingertips over pictures that Law had hanging on the wall, snapshots of his life for the last fifteen years, “It’s fine, I’m used to hand-me-downs.”

“That’s all well and good, however I am considerably taller than you and most of my wardrobe is scrubs or suits so I think it’s best to go shopping.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.” Law confirmed, “We’ll get brunch, there’s a diner down the street that you’ll love.”

Luffy turned to grin at him, the sight of his beautiful smile filling up spaces Law didn't know were empty, "That sounds awesome." 

—

Four hours since they had said their goodnights, Law could not manage to go to sleep. His mind and heart was racing at the thought of Luffy in the next room, wondering if he was sleeping yet, if the couch was comfortable, if he had enough blankets or pillows, if he liked it here in the first place, what did it mean that he was here, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Doflamingo was asking if Law had really thought through inviting a relative stranger to live in his tiny-ass apartment rent free, while another voice that had Corazon's familiar chime was saying that Luffy really didn't feel like a stranger even though it had only been six weeks, it had only been _six weeks_ and he was feeling like this _already_ , what had he gotten himself into -

With a muffled groan, Law rolled out of bed to shove his feet into slippers and tie his robe around his waist. Bepo, ever faithful, lumbered out of bed too, to follow as Law stalked quietly to the door, inched it open enough to slip out and stare. He peered across the living room, vaguely making out a shape laying still on the couch, but he couldn’t be sure if the other man was actually asleep without getting closer but that was probably a bad idea so instead he strained to listen for the rhythmic sound of deeper breathing that would indicate a transition out of REM sleep. 

“Hi.”

“Sorry,” Law gasped, almost jumping out of his skin, “I thought you were asleep already, the TV wasn’t on so I assumed-”

“It’s okay.” Luffy soothed, sitting up, “I turned it off cause it switched to-

“Paid programming.” Law finished, “Yeah, it’s three am Monday night to Friday, Friday into Saturday and Saturday to Sunday is four am and Sunday to Monday is back to three. I don’t sleep much, hence the memorization of the programming schedule.” He squinted through the darkness at his new roommate, questioning internally why Luffy wasn’t asleep yet, none of the medications he was currently on had warnings over loss of sleep which led Law to believe that there might be another reason. He bit his lip before saying in a way that allowed for open interpretation over the prospect of company, “I usually switch to a streaming service or a movie at that point.”

Luffy seemed to take it gratefully, offering up the remote, “Yeah?”

Law took it, sinking down to the floor beside the couch because it suddenly felt weird to sit where Luffy was supposed to sleep, like inviting himself into someone’s bed. Bepo laid down beside him and Luffy ran his socked feet up and down the dog’s spine, ruffling up his fur. Law turned the TV back on, pulling up the menu screen to open up a streaming app, “What are you in the mood for?”

“Whatever.”

After scrolling through the options for a while, Law decided on the old Looney Toon animated series, figuring that the content wouldn’t be anything too stressful for a three am viewing.

They were halfway through the first episode when Luffy leaned down to murmur, “You don’t have to sit on the floor. You can come up here. It’s your couch, I mean, you own it.”

Law looked at him with a frown, “It’s supposed to be your bed though. I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“C’mon, I’ll scoot over.” Luffy urged, patting the space beside him encouragingly. 

“Alright,” Law agreed, moving to stand up, “But fair warning, Bepo might try to come up with me.”

“That,” Luffy said with a grin illuminated by the TV glow but equally bright on it’s own, “Is where I draw the line.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone give a round of applause to @maye who guessed correctly. Ignis is Sabo and Koala’s son, his uncles watch him often while his parents are at work to destroy the government, you know the usual gig.
> 
> Law is most definitely a person who would have bought a car just because it's doors open cool which is why he is the perfect match for Luffy. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	14. Day 14: Emergency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We actually have a blanket policy for a twenty-four heads up before family visits, just so we can, you know, hire a professional cleaner, prepare answers for a list of frequently asked questions, make a wine selection, catered hors d'oeuvres, do some mental preparation, change our address, plan a sudden business trip; the usual.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in the September before Law and Luffy's first wedding anniversary.
> 
> Content Warnings: Questionable parenting

Law was taking his weekly trip to the store that always followed his early-ending Friday shift. Weekends off were always in high demand but after eight years at the hospital he had pulled seniority once he had gotten married so his Fridays were free after four thirty. He was pushing the cart down the frozen food aisles when his phone rang. He answered the phone breezily, “Hey, hon, I’m at the store, did you forget to put something on the list again that you’d like your wonderful, amazing husband to pick up?”

“We have an emergency!”

“Sweetheart,” Law chided, putting a box of chocolate popsicles into the cart because Luffy always insisted that it was ice cream season no matter what the weather was, “What did we say about calling things an emergency when they’re not?”

“My grandpa’s coming over for dinner.”

“Shit, that is an emergency.” Law muttered before asking with a small amount of fear, “When?”

“Tonight! For dinner!”

Law ran an agitated hand through his hair, “Yes, but what time? Dinner at 6, 7, he’s old, does he think dinner starts at 5? It’s 4:55 now!” Law was very aware he looked crazy, practically yelling surrounded by ice cream but these were very serious questions.

“I don’t know, he didn’t say specifically. What do we do?”

“Uh, move.”

“Torao, you know he’d find us!”

“You’re right. Damn, there goes our Friday night.” 

“What are we gonna do?! What are we supposed to do for dinner? How am I supposed to clean the house in time? You have to come home and help me, now!”

“Take a deep breath, dear, passing out won’t stop him from barging in.” He racked his brain for a moment, trying to think of a quick way to make a dinner that would allow them time to tidy the house for guests. “Look, I’ll buy a rotisserie chicken and we can whip something up. I have to check out first but I’ll be home as fast as I can.” 

“Hurry!”

After some minor breaking of speed limits, Law made it home and made quick work of putting up the groceries. Luffy had been vacuuming like a mad-man trying to get up all the loose fur shed from their pets but had finished that task to make dinner while Law went upstairs to change. Together they worked to spot clean the living and dining room as well as the guest downstairs bathroom. They had just finished taking out their good plates from the cupboard when a car pulled into the driveway. 

Luffy gave a huff as he threw open the front door, in fear that otherwise his grandfather would knock it off the hinges, _again_. Law hovered behind him, peering over his husband’s shoulder to a seventy-nine year old man who should not be that intimating, and the two younger men who were cowering equally as much as the other couple. 

Law could say a lot about Garp but it was clear to anyone how much he adored his youngest grandson by the way his wrinkled scarred face transformed with a beam at the person in the doorway, “Ah! There he is!”

“Grandpa!” Luffy scolded, “Why’re you here?”

Just as quickly, Garp looked pissed which made Law cringe in anticipation as the fist came down on the top of Luffy’s head, “Brat! I can’t visit my grandson and his husband?!”

Luffy clutched his head in pain, but continued to protest, “You can if you want but maybe give us more notice next time!” 

“I called!”

“Like less than two hours before you showed up!”

“We actually have a blanket policy for a twenty-four heads up before family visits, just so we can, you know, hire a professional cleaner, prepare answers for a list of frequently asked questions, make a wine selection, catered hors d'oeuvres, do some mental preparation, change our address, plan a sudden business trip; the usual.”

There was some suppressed laughter by the three other younger men before Law was grasped quickly by the shoulders and hauled close so knuckles could be raked harshly through his hair, “And here’s my grandson-in-law, such a charmer!”

“I’m glad you think that’s charming.” Law muttered through gritted teeth, though he resisted the urge to obsessively fix his hair until after Garp had stalked past him into the house, “Always good to see you.”

“Look, Luffy,” Garp declared, “I’ve brought your friends.” 

Koby bowed slightly, having never gotten over the crush he had on Law’s husband, “Hello, Luffy-San, it’s good to see you again.”

“Hey!” Luffy greeted back, hugging him happily then turned to Helmeppo with a cock of his head, “Who’re you?”

Helmeppo threw his hands in the air in exasperation, “We’ve ‘met’ like four different times!” 

“Really?”

“I was at your wedding!”

“That’s nice.” Luffy said dismissively, trailing after his grandfather into the house.

Koby chuckled at the expense of his partner, who glared back at him before stomping through the entryway. With two of the three guests already inviting themselves in, Law exhaled, gesturing dryly, “Won’t you please come into our house?” 

Koby seemed sheepish as usual, “Sorry, we didn’t mean to intrude on your night but-”

Law groaned quietly, “I’m well aware of his method of doing things. Don’t worry about it.” 

“We brought dessert.” Koby offered up the pastry box with a wobbly smile. 

“At least the night will end on a sweet note.” Law remarked, shutting the door behind them.

Polar and Bepo had wisely hidden themselves away at the arrival of relative strangers but Sunny, only nine months old, had no such sense of self-preservation and came to investigate the newcomers with a wagging tail. Garp picked the unsuspecting puppy up by the collar to examine him closer, “Who’s this?”

“That’s my puppy, don’t break him.” Luffy held his arms out for his grandfather to drop the dog into. He cuddled Sunny to his chest, “He was a birthday present from Traffy.”

Garp patted both the dog and the human on the head, “Good, maybe a dog will teach you some responsibility.”

Law rolled his eyes at the subtle condescension, “He doesn’t need a dog for responsibility, he already is. He’s getting his degree for marine purchasing and supply management next June, remember?”

“Yes,” Koby asked eagerly, “How is that going?”

“Good,” Luffy called back as he took Sunny up the stairs to put him in the office with the other two animals, “It’s not as hard as I thought it would be.”

The timer went off in the kitchen so Law headed to remove dinner from the oven which was the first time he had gotten a good look at what it was. It smelled good, seeming to resemble a lasagna in a casserole dish with a crust of cheese on top. Law rummaged through the wine cabinet while Luffy came to serve it onto the plates, cutting at it with a knife and a spatula. He lifted up a slice but it was a bit of a mess, trying to slide off the spatula without making it onto the plate. Law frowned quizzically, “What did you make?”

“Dinner.” Luffy answered obliviously, still struggling to wrangle the food.

It was a type of noodles but instead of large flat lasagna it was- “Is that ramen noodles?”

Luffy stuck his tongue out in concentration, finally managing to get it successfully on the plate, “We like ramen.”

Law stared at their dinner, mouth agape, voice dropped to a whisper to not alert their guests, “That is microwavable instant ramen.” 

“I put the flavor packets in.” Luffy pouted up at his baffled expression, “It’s gonna be good, promise! It’s got the chicken and some broccoli and cheese!”

Law pinched the bridge of his nose, “I’m going to need the fortified wine to get through this evening.” 

—

When their dinner guests left, three long hours later, Luffy got himself another slice of the apple pie that they had been given for their troubles, coming to join Law sprawled out on the couch. “You were nice tonight, I only heard you curse five times.”

Law removed the arm that had been draped dramatically over his eyes, “I tried to keep it civil.”

“Thanks for putting up with Gramps,” Luffy offered a forkful of pie to Law who accepted, “He can be a lot but he loves me and he likes you a lot.”

Law sat up with a groan, “When you marry a man, you marry his family, those are the rules.” He leaned over to kiss Luffy’s cheek with a soft chuckle, “Besides you deal with my family so we’re more than even."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so obvious that Garp loves Luffy and wants the best for him but he is not what I would call an ideal parent. I think he would really like having Law as a grandson-in-law. Also, if you don't think Koby had his gay awakening when he met Luffy, you're wrong. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	15. Day 15: Stargazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had gotten a brilliant idea one day at work while he was making his daily rounds of the tanks that he thought if he planned properly could be executed this Friday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in late October, a few months before Law and Luffy's 15th wedding anniversary. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Mentions of death, past suicidal thoughts and depression.

This last year had been hard, that was for sure. It had been a series of steps forward and leaps back but they were going to see it through. He refused to let either one of them give up. 

See Luffy had been through it before, he knew the ebbs and flows of sludging through memories and regrets to try to get on solid ground again. When Ace had died, parts of Luffy had been lost forever, ripped away by trauma and grief. In the hospital bed he had been condemned to, he had buoyed back and forth between weepy and mournful or unnaturally angry and sullen against the world. Everything tasted like ash, he couldn’t sleep without nightmares, he had hidden himself from his closest friends for over a year in shame, he didn’t want to do anything, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to keep living at the lowest points in his road to recovery.

The whole ordeal had altered his view on life completely, affected the way he handled himself and situations he found himself in, it had radically transformed him and the effects had lingered to this day, over seventeen years later. Only a month ago, when the realization had set in that he had lived longer now without his brother in his life than when he was in it had caused Luffy to go under one of the most brutal episodes he ever had. 

He knows that Law is going through that now, that he will never return to the man he used to be before, that this experience has fundamentally changed and scarred his husband but he refuses to let that change anything between them. He had been with Law for fifteen years of marriage, whereupon both of them had grown immensely from the people they were when they first said their vows and this was no different. He has a mantra of ‘ _ he saved me, it’s my turn to save him, he was there for me, I’ll be there for him _ ’, repeating it to himself in those particularly hard moments, when he wants to scream, to cry, because  _ I’m your husband, isn’t my love enough, I’m right here, holding your hand, why does it feel like you’re still drowning and I can’t do anything?! _

It had been immensely stressful to think that he might lose his husband to something he couldn't fight off. There was no one who could fight that battle except for Law and there were a few terrifying seconds when he thought Law wasn’t going to make the choice to fight back.

Grief weighs on people, it wears on their souls to age them from the inside out. Luffy had dealt with it firsthand when he looked at his scarred chest in the mirror unbandaged for the first time, instinctively understanding that whatever youth he had clung to was gone. He sees it again, in Law, as the bags under his brilliant golden eyes get darker, the lines in his face getting deeper, the appearance of silver hairs at his temples. 

It’s getting better, slowly but surely, not nearly as bad as it was earlier in the year when Luffy had been afraid every time Law was out of sight. Law was still unbelievably exhausted from not sleeping longer than five hours straight for the past ten months and mostly reclusive when it came to any sort of social gathering that wasn’t absolutely necessary yet he had begun to smile at Luffy again. It was a kinda sad, bittersweet smile but nonetheless a smile that held love in it and his eyes didn’t look so dead anymore, their luster returning. Law had always been a fighter, having been utterly fucked more times than you thought someone could handle yet had gone his whole life proving the universe wrong with his will to survive and he was doing it again. 

Luffy was proud of the progress he was making which he recognized as the same way Law had expressed pride in him for his actions after Ace’s death. He was doing everything in his power to give Law as much possible happiness as he could during this difficult time and had gotten a brilliant idea one day at work while he was making his daily rounds of the tanks that he thought if he planned properly could be executed this Friday.

On his lunch break, he found Franky down by the docks, overseeing an incoming shipment of materials for a new build. Luffy helped him with the paperwork because he was a pro at it by this point and the faster the moving guys were out of their way, the sooner he could ask for Franky’s assistance. 

They sat down on a bench further up the docks so they could eat their lunches. Franky popped a bottle of cola open with a sigh, “Thanks for your help, little boss.”

“No problem, paperwork’s a breeze.” He rushed out, “Hey, can I borrow your truck on Friday night?”

“Why?”

He drummed the heels of his rubber boots onto the concrete, “It’s nothing weird or illegal, I promise.”

Franky tipped his sunglasses down to look him in the eyes, “Normally, Luffy-bro, when someone says that they mean the opposite.”

“I mean it for real!” He protested, “I’m planning a surprise for Torao but I need a truck or at least a convertible but you have a truck so I figured I’d ask you. You can take my car if you need it and I’ll bring it back on Saturday.”

Franky pretended to think over the offer for a moment before answering, “Alright but only if you have lunch with Robin and me when you drop it off.”

“Deal.” They shook on it and two days later Luffy drove home in Franky’s decked out 4x4 custom eyesmarting of a paint-job truck.

Law was already home and done their weekly grocery shopping, having gotten off shift earlier than Luffy. He was upstairs in the bedroom, changing his clothes as Luffy got everything ready downstairs for the evening date. 

“What should I wear?”

“Wear something comfortable.”

“What kind of comfortable? Sweatpants or leggings?”

“Probably leggings since you have a thing about sweatpants.”

“I don’t have a ‘thing’ about them,” Law retorted, “I just don’t see them as appropriate attire for outside the house.” 

“Uh-huh.” Luffy muttered as he finished giving Ope- their two year old Egyptian Mau- his dinner, since the cat wouldn’t be joining them on their evening adventures. He had already fed the dogs the second he got home and had let them out into the backyard to do their business while he stashed all of his supplies into the toolbox in the bed of the truck. After running through his mental checklist of things needed for the fourth time, he felt confident that they could leave the house. “Come on, boys!”

Luffy didn’t ever think he’d get over the joy that the sound of padding paws brought him. Kikoku, specifically Law’s seven year old Leonberger, who had separation issues and thus went with them almost everywhere came trotting over his gold tag jingling, sitting primly as he waited obediently for his orangish red nylon leash to get clipped on. Surume, a four year old Newfoundland that they had found as a stray when he was around two who had wholeheartedly devoted himself to Luffy’s continued protection, was much more energetic about getting to go out, slobbering onto Luffy’s joggers as his halter was put on. 

Law met them at the front door, taking Kikoku’s leash from Luffy, dressed appropriately in a pair of gray leggings and an old yellow coat, a color that Luffy loved to see him in. “Is that Franky’s truck?”

“Yep. We’re borrowing it.”

“Are we going to some off-roading event?”

“You’ll see.”

It took some maneuvering to get both over a hundred pound dogs into the back seat but they managed it. When everyone was settled, Luffy started up the car with a grin, “You ready?”

“Yes, I have my portable charger and am wearing thicker socks like you asked. Now what?”

“First,” Luffy declared, “Is dinner.”

They ate dinner at a place with a patio before piling back into the car so Luffy could drive them an hour out of the city limits, taking them on backroads until they arrived at their destination- an empty open field a few miles away from the main roads that was part of a property one of Luffy’s friends owned. 

Law looked around their surroundings with hesitation, “Are you sure you got the directions right? Because unless I’m mistaken, there’s nothing here.”

“That’s the point!” Luffy crowed, jumping out of the truck and letting the dogs out to run free. The sun had already begun to set, casting the world into hues of orange and pink.

He pulled out a kick ball from behind the driver’s seat to punt it halfway across the field, “Go get it!” Both dogs went sprinting after the bouncing ball, fighting each other in an attempt to bring it back but unable to actually get their mouth’s around its girth to bring it back. Luffy jogged into the field after them, rescuing the ball from its slobbery fate by kicking it towards the truck that, of course, initiated another chase. “Come play with us,” He yelled, “We have some time!”

“What are we waiting for exactly?” Law yelled back, seemingly unimpressed. 

“And they say I’m impatient!” Luffy taunted, which was enough to get Law to stride over with a determined grin. They kicked the ball back and forth to each other while Surume and Kikoku chased it around. Eventually the sun finished setting and Luffy hurried to set up the back of the truck before it got too dark to see. 

Luffy forced Law to wait in the cab of the truck while he got everything ready. There was a small electric lantern they could use for light until it was time to get started that he sat on the rim of the side. He used a small handheld motor to blow up the air mattress which Law used whenever they slept in the back of the van. He made a nest of blankets on top of it and put the picnic basket that had cookies and thermos of hot chocolate and tea next to it. 

Once he was satisfied with the work he had done, he let Law and the dogs come investigate. “I thought we could use a break from the city. Pretty soon the stars are gonna come out so I thought we could lay here, snuggle and look at them. You can point out constellations and shit and I’ll eat like a dozen cookies. It’s gonna be a great time.”

Law helped the dogs onto the bed of the truck before clambering up himself, taking off his shoes, looking around at the meager assemblage with awed delight as he tucked himself under the blankets, “You didn’t have to do this for me.” 

“I wanted to. You’re always doing spontaneous, surprise things for me, so I thought I’d repay the favor. Do you like it?”

Law lifted up the corner of the blanket in invitation, “I’ll like it more when you’ve joined me.” Luffy hopped up, kicked his shoes off and wiggled his way to nestle against his husband’s side. Surume plopped himself on top of Luffy, still not compredhing that he was way bigger than Ope who frequently climbed all over their owners. 

Law rummaged through the picnic basket, pulling out the before-mentioned cookies and discovering the drinks. They huddled together under the blankets, warmed by the body heat of each other and their loyal pets, the loving words they shared, the heat that blossomed from the sweet touch of their lips. 

It didn’t take long for it to be time for Luffy to twist his torso to turn off the lantern, plunging them into darkness that was illuminated only by the multitude of stars above them, far clearer than what they encountered in their neighborhood. 

Law pointed individual stars and constellations out to Luffy as requested, voice a soft thing as velvet as the night. Luffy tipped his head onto his husband’s shoulder, looking up for a glimpse of the handsome face he knew so well: the lips he loved to kiss shaping words that told the exciting stories of ancient legends, the defined nose and cheekbones, the faded discoloration of a disease that tried to take him away before Luffy had ever met him, the crow’s feet that lined his eyes which were like two glowing suns glowing as fiercely as the rising dawn and gentle as the fading sunset that could not dampened by lack of sleep or grief. 

The dear face that Luffy loved to make smile and would continue to do so for the rest of their lives. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not telling you what happened to Law, you can speculate if you want but I'm not telling. I can however tell you that this chapter is supposed to initiate a direct parallel to what happened to Luffy after Ace died with Law in the present moment. I think it's important for love and support through grief and depression to go both ways so Law gets to suffer too. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	16. Day 16: Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doflamingo handed over a medium sized envelope, “Happy Birthday, by the way. I picked this for you specially, it should be fun.”  
> “How thoughtful.” He murmured, slipping the envelope into the inside pocket of his jacket, deciding that he would open it over his coffee tomorrow morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set a few months before Law and Luffy's 5th anniversary. Yes, folks we have circled back to the where they were in their lives during the very first chapter. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Mentions of emotional manipulation, graphic depictions of oral and anal sex

Law had been having a pretty good birthday all things considering. He had woken up to a nice breakfast and went on a long run with Bepo. His shift at the hospital was uneventful except for his surgical team giving him a cupcake at lunch which he had taken a single bite of before saving the rest for his husband at home. Luffy had inhaled the thing while Law got changed for their dinner reservations and was brushing his teeth to try to get rid of the black frosting as Law put the finishing touches on his outfit.

For such a special occasion, he had on an immaculately ironed white button up, a pair of white and black plaid pants and a cream suit jacket that was expertly tailored and trimmed with black and white braiding. He had exchanged his normal gold earring for sets of diamonds. The upper pair a simple pair of studs and the lower one a pair of exquisite tassel earrings made of both black and white diamonds that had been a gift from his previous, more monumental thirty birthday. 

Luffy was much more casual yet still incredibly beautiful, in a pair of black skinny jeans, a white and black vertical striped button up and light blue satin jacket, his only jewelry being their wedding rings and the expensive gold bangles that Law had bought him back when they were dating. He looked at Law with open admiration, leaning up on his tiptoes to kiss Law’s cheek, "Tall, handsome man."

"You think?" Law purred back.

"Yeah."

He slid his hands up and down Luffy’s back, enjoying the feeling of slippery satin under his fingertips, "Ready to go out, baby?"

"Yep. And since it’s your birthday, I promise to be on my best behavior.”

“That’s good to hear because apparently this restaurant has great dessert so I would really like to make it that far into the night.”

They arrived at their destination twenty minutes later than they were supposed to because traffic was bad on Saturday nights and definitely not because they couldn’t keep their hands off each other long enough to make it down the stairs. Sitting on a bench outside of the restaurant, waiting for them was an incredibly tall man in a massive black feathered coat.

Rosinante, at forty-four years old, was still handsome enough to be a model, in a navy suit that highlighted his willowy, lips a rich merlot color drawing into a beam at the sight of their approach, chestnut eyes dressed in various shades of dramatic smoky purples and dark blues lighting up in a way that made them seem red in the evening.  Law found himself walking a little bit faster, letting go of Luffy’s hand to stride forward. 

They all belonged to Doffy, but Law was Cora’s especially. 

Like Sugar and Monet were taken in together, like Giolla was given Dellinger, like Senor Pink was allowed to keep his family so long, Law was given to Rosinante as a pet. It’s all a twisted way of Doflamingo’s to create loyalties, infect a sense of family into individuals who are vastly different and have explosive, antagonistic personalities. Every relationship can be exploited, used as a bargaining chip in the grand scheme of gaining more power. It’s manipulative but at this point Law knows this and has long accepted it. There’s no real escape for anyone besides a body bag and Law had never been one to roll over and die. 

He was ten when he was thrust into Rosinante’s care, a pet project for the younger brother to groom into something deadly and use as an outlet for aggression while Law was still living. It was supposed to be temporary, Law was supposed to be dead before his fourteenth birthday but today twenty-one years later he runs into the embrace he considers to be his father as much as the one who supplied half of his cursed genetic material.

Rosinante squeezed him with a delighted laugh, cooing in his ear, “Happy Birthday, my boy!”

Law drew away with a teasing frown, “I’m not much of a boy anymore.”

Rosinante ran a hand through his thick hair fondly, sliding his warm palm down to rest on Law’s cheek tenderly, “You always will be to me.” With another grin, he turned to Law’s husband, reaching out for a greeting embrace, “Hi, sunshine!”

As Law watched them hug, it was not lost on him that he married a man who was remarkably similar in personality to the man who raised him into adulthood. Rosinante huffed, smoothing out his rumpled clothes, “We better hurry inside. Doffy’s probably terrorized the wait staff by now.” 

The restaurant wasn’t one they would have chosen on their own, it oozed wealth in a way that made Luffy antsy, but Doflamingo had insisted that they go somewhere ‘nice’ to celebrate. The whole place had a stifled atmosphere, with the servers not daring to meet the guests’ eyes, a wine list a mile long and uncomfortable looking leather chairs. Doflamingo was waiting for them at a corner table, never one to dress down in his maroon double breasted suit and the ever present obnoxious flamingo feather coat. 

“Look who I found!” Rosinante called obviously as he finished guiding them to their seats.

Doflamingo smiled, rising to his impressive height, “And here I thought you weren’t going to show up.”

“We’d never do that.” Law assured, accepting a hug without fuss, “The traffic was bad tonight.” 

“So glad you could join us.” Doflamingo hummed, squeezing Luffy’s cheek who barely suppressed a grimace, “I know how busy you must be with that job of yours. Terrible industry; the service industry, it asks so much of it’s workers.”

“I’ve been just fine,” Luffy responded, sitting down into the chair Rosinante pulled out for him, “Have been for four years now but I appreciate the concern.”

“You should really come work with us, your talents would be put to much better use.” Doflamingo propositioned, the same offer he made every time he saw Law’s husband. 

Luffy snorted with a smirk, dismissing the idea without hesitation, “You couldn’t handle me.”

Rosinante quickly changed the subject so they didn’t have to deal with an all out war at the dinner table, asking Law about his work which he already knew about because he and Law called each other for some period of time every three days as a way to keep in touch since Law had moved an hour and a half away twelve years ago. 

Dinner passed by quickly enough, the four of them were capable of playing nice that long- and by that Luffy and Doflamingo were able to not kill each other while they were occupied with food and drinks. Law managed to get his dessert which was chocolate almond sponge cake with a dark chocolate ganache and house made raspberry preserve, rich and decadent but not overly so, that he did not share more than one bite with his husband because it was  _ his  _ birthday and it was that good. 

As they left the restaurant, heading back to the cars, Luffy and Rosinante chatted excitedly while he and Doflamingo trailed behind at a more sedate pace. When they were sure the other two weren’t in earshot, Doflamingo handed over a medium sized envelope, “Happy Birthday, by the way. I picked this for you specially, it should be fun.”

“How thoughtful.” He murmured, slipping the envelope into the inside pocket of his jacket, deciding that he would open it over his coffee tomorrow morning. “What’s the timeline?”

“Oh, whenever, I trust your judgement.” That meant soon but not immediately pressing. Probably best to aim towards two to three weeks for completion, perfectly doable. 

“I won’t disappoint.” He responded simply, already contemplating if he needed to take off work or not.

“You never do. That is what I so dearly like about you.” Law wasn’t able to read the gaze hidden behind the tinted sunglasses in the dark of the night but smiled nonetheless, it was too dangerous to not show gratitude to the man who could destroy everything he loved in minutes. 

The two pairs parted amicably, heading their separate ways with the promise that they would get together later in the month to celebrate Doffy’s birthday. That time, Law and Luffy would make the drive to the family house for a huge celebration with all the other members. 

Once they got home, Law was quick to rid himself of his nicer clothes so he could play with the pets without fear of having to lint roll fur from the fine material later, changing into a pair of sweatpants and an old college hoodie to go to sleep in. Luffy was getting ready for bed in the bathroom while Law waited, flopped onto the mattress with eyes closed. 

Despite the late hour and the long day he had, he could feel a jittery energy surging under his tattooed skin, “Maybe I shouldn’t have had all that chocolate. I’m pretty sure I can feel the sugar entering my system now.”

“You don’t have to work tomorrow so I think we’re good.” 

“That’s true.”

“Besides,” Luffy drawled from the doorway of the bathroom, “A little sugar high might not be so bad. I was under the impression you didn’t want to go to sleep any time soon. Unless you don’t want your present?”

Law raised his head from the bed to look over at his husband then very quickly sat upright, “No, no, I want it.”

Luffy threw his head back and laughed, wearing nothing except for the gold bracelets, his wedding rings, the blue satin jacket and a pair of black lacy underwear. It looked like a thong, leaving very little to imagination behind the chantilly lace, obviously custom made for the male physique. Law would have to remember to send Inazuma a thank you text message tomorrow, “Have you been wearing that the whole night?”

“Yep.”

“You devious man. Are you not freezing?”

“You know I run hot when I sleep.”

“It’s October.”

“It’s the beginning of October, so it’s still warmish.”

“Don’t make me implicate a rule for weather-appropriate sleepwear.”

“I’m sorry,” Luffy scoffed, gesturing at his lack of clothing, “I’m wearing this for you. I can just go put on a pair of sweats.”

Law propped himself up on an elbow, smirking, “You know I’d find you sexy either way. Now will you please get over here?” Luffy joined him on the bed without complaint, easily sliding up so their bodies were joined together. 

He kissed Law passionately for a moment then pulled back to look into Law’s golden eyes with a gentle smile and softened tone, “You know what?”

“What?” Law asked back in a hushed voice.

Luffy beamed at him, “I think you’re one of the most amazing men ever.” 

“One of? Not the most?”

“Well, my brothers are pretty kick ass.” 

“That they are.”

“And I can’t believe that I’m so lucky that 31-”

“Don’t remind me.” 

“-31 years ago this little baby was born and some way, somehow he came into my life and gave me the privilege-”

“Absolute privilege.” Law corrected teasingly. 

“Of falling in love with him and getting to marry him and be in an alliance together.” 

Law’s nose scrunched up which Luffy leaned forward to kiss the bridge of, “I still don’t think you know what an alliance is.”

“Whatever, I’m being nice.”

“You are.” Law crooned, kissing Luffy’s cheek, “You are so sweet.” 

Luffy giggled at the feeling of his scruffy jaw, bright eyes sparkling as he finished his speech, “Guess what I’m trying to say is: Happy Birthday, babe.”

Law chuckled which he knew Luffy could feel reverberating through his throat as his husband laid kisses adoringly on his neck. Law’s hands were already exploring the delicate fabric of the lingerie, groping at the perky ass that was on display, “Happy birthday to me, indeed.”

Luffy pushed him away, forcing him to lay on his back on the mattress again as Luffy shrugged off his jacket, throwing it across the room without care while he straddled Law, “Now, sit still while I suck your dick.”

Law laughed at the brazenness, lifting his hips up invitingly for his husband to slide his sweatpants and boxers down enough for his member to spring forth eagerly. Luffy scraped his fingernails down the sides of Law’s pelvis, tracing the tattoos that swirled on his upper thighs- recent additions compared to the ones that inked his chest and back- then bent forward to kiss and gnaw at the tender skin around his groin. Law blew out at the tingling sensation caused by warm puffing breath and Luffy gave him one more smile before he swallowed Law to the hilt. 

The first times they had done this, Luffy had been excited and sloppy, leaving Law to fear for the safety of his cock because he had seen the damage Luffy’s teeth could do, yet over time the skill had been refined until now, it was pure pleasure from start to finish. While he was doing that Law was busying himself with scissoring Luffy open with spit soaked fingers, making good use of his long arms and his husband's awe-inspiring flexibility. By the time Luffy popped off, he was ready to add a generous amount of lube onto his dick so Luffy could ease himself down, inch by inch until all Law could feel was toe-curling pleasure of a moist heat. This too, had been a skill that had been refined over their years as a couple. The panties didn’t have to be taken off, just the back string needed to be pushed to the side, the front panel of lace actually a welcome source of friction for Luffy to rub himself on. Luffy’s hands braced themselves in the intertwining of their fingers, nodding once in encouragement for Law to start moving. He rocked his hips, up and down steadily, in the motion of a boat bobbing amidst gentle waves. There was no need to hurry, no franticness for completion, just a slow buildup of incredible pressure begging for release that was born from a love so potent it made tears well up in Law’s eyes, made the little gasps that Luffy gave sound more gorgeous than a symphony in his ears. 

When they came undone, one after the other, Law’s bones ached with tenderness causing him to pull Luffy down to lay on top his chest, heedless of the mess smeared between them. Luffy dragged a blanket over them, pressing a few open mouthed kisses to Law’s sternum, “As an added birthday gift, I’ll wash the bedding tomorrow.”

Law groaned, the sugar rush wearing off as he came down from his ecstasy, leaving him loose limbed with the most welcomed form of exhaustion, “You are the perfect man.”

“Don’t you forget it.” Luffy mumbled with sleep-tired eyes, giving him one final kiss goodnight.

It was a great birthday. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now you know! Corazon is still alive in this AU and they both are working for Doflamingo, I'm sure that won't have any consequences. I think it's funny to imagine Luffy and Doflamingo having to be civil to each other.   
> Also, I know Law's birthday has already happened but this was on the prompt list for today so I figured we could wish him a happy belated birthday with a little sexy time for his birthday, as a treat. I hope you guys enjoyed, if not there's always next chapter.
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	17. Day 17: Haunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy felt kinda bad because neither he or Law gave the expected reactions but Luffy was pretty sure his friends would make up for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place later on the same day as Chapter 2's events so it is a few months before Law and Luffy's first wedding anniversary. 
> 
> Content Warnings: None

Nami and Sanji screams echoed in the night, a ways ahead of them and Luffy giggled, “I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to pair them together. They’re both wimps about this stuff.”

“Maybe they fell prey to peer pressure, like someone else we know.” Law muttered ruefully under his breath, not flinching as a man with a chainsaw jumped out at them from amidst the tall corn. Luffy giggled again, jumping up a little, clutching his husband’s arm tighter on principle. He wasn’t scared really but it was fun to be surprised. 

They were in the middle of a haunted cornfield, which Law had no interest in because he thought sounded lame but Luffy had dragged him along. Even Law had to admit it was better than the impression given by the name, though he had yet to be scared or mildly shocked at anything that had happened. During the day, the cornfield- whose stalks were taller than Law’s head by a good two feet- had functioned as a maze which they had run around in for 20 minutes then had to spend another thirty trying to find Zoro. An hour after dark it had been fully transformed into a basically haunted house but in a corn field, the passages of the maze blocked off so it had a specific path to follow with scare actors positioned along the way to try to frighten the guests.

Luffy felt kinda bad because neither he or Law gave the expected reactions but Luffy was pretty sure his friends would make up for it. Up ahead, Nami and Sanji screamed again and there was a loud manic whooping from an actor. Then, from somewhere behind them, there came a low chilling laugh that was totally from Brook, echoing across the field. 

Law peered backwards into the night, remarking, “I think that is the scariest that has happened so far.”

Luffy laughed, hugging Law tighter, “His laugh is kinda creepy, especially when you can’t actually see him.”

“At least he sounds like he’s having fun.” A monster scarecrow on stilts loomed over them as they completed on the looped trail and came back out to a few yards away from where they started. There was a line of people waiting to enter the haunted cornfield and the two of them blinked at the stadium lights that lit the area, a stark contrast to the cornfield that had only been lit with strobe lights and heavily masked in artificial fog from machines stationed along the way. 

Sanji and Nami were on their knees in the dirt, both trembling from lingering fear. “How’d it go?” Law asked with a knowing grin. Luffy pinched his arm for not being nice however it didn’t seem to phase his husband that much.

“Screw you.” Sanji scathed, looking jittery, not only from the haunted cornfield but that he was still too close to said field to smoke a cigarette to calm his tightly wound nerves. 

“That was awful,” Nami muttered, “Terrible, why did we ever do that?!”

Franky and Robin, who were the pair that volunteered to go first, both chuckled as they strolled over. Law looked at the couple with a wry smile, “I didn’t hear any commotion from you two.”

Robin smiled back, “It was a nice effort.”

Nami and Sanji picked themselves off the ground and they all moved a little further away to not block the exit. They chatted amongst themselves while they waited but as the gap stretched longer they began to speculate over what was taking so long for the final pairs to complete the course. Sanji groaned, “Did moss-head get lost again?”

“He’s with Chopper-bro so hopefully not.”

“We put them in the middle for a reason.”

“Yeah, Brook and Usopp are behind them, they should run into each other.”

“Unless they wandered into the cornfield.”

“It took us thirty minutes to find him during the day, do you know how stupid hard it’ll be to try to find at night?”

“Hopefully they wouldn’t freeze to death.”

“Robin!”

Law shook his head, “Unlikely in this weather, forecast said a low in the mid forties, that’s rare conditions for death. Now, if it was raining and the wind was at a higher speed then you would have trouble.” He crossed his arms over his chest, “Although the cornfield is impressive, it isn’t that big, if he walked in a straight line he could be out in less than five minutes either way.”

Nami snorted, “That’s assuming he can walk in a straight line.” 

“That’s assuming he can do anything straight.” Sanji added. 

Luffy perked up, “Hey, look, it’s them!” Cupping his hands around his mouth he shouted, “What took you two so long?!”

Zoro, who had Chopper trailing behind him, strode over with an exasperated shake of his head, “He tried to choke me out again.”

Luffy threw his head back and laughed, while a few others chuckled as the two approached. “Damn, that whole fear strangulation is turning into a real issue for you, Zoro-bro.”

“Tell me about it.” Chopper had the decency to look bashful, pointedly avoiding all eye-contact.

“Wait, what?” Law, still the newest to the family by a decent margin, asked, “Fear strangulation?”

“When Chopper gets scared he has a tendency to latch himself onto something and not want to let go.” Nami explained with a wicked grin, “For a while, it’s been Zoro’s face. Chopper will jump on Zoro and attach himself like a starfish which smothers him after a bit.”

“I wouldn’t mind the whole getting held onto part,” Zoro said, ruffling Chopper’s hair, seemingly harboring no grudges, “If it wasn’t my face everytime. I can’t breathe with you on that tight.”

“Sorry!” Chopper wailed, “But don’t worry, I could have resuscitated you the whole time!”

Law frowned with a quizzical tilt of his head, “I think it’s against the law of ethics to resuscitate someone you caused to go under, or strangle someone in general.”

“Looks like the last members of our party have made it through.” Robin observed and sure enough, Brook and Usopp were coming out of the cornfield on wobbly legs, looking grateful that it was finally over. 

Usopp sobbed once, shouting at them, “I can’t believe you guys made us go last! That was horrifying!”

Brook laughed, “I agree, I nearly jumped out of my bones!”

“Well, that was fun,” Robin remarked creully, “Shall we go again?”

“ _ No! _ ” Five voices protested at once.

Luffy tittered, sharing a look with his husband who rolled his eyes pointedly, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead, “Don’t even think about it. For some things, once is enough.”

Luffy leaned up to bump his nose against Law’s lovingly, “Once is never enough when I’m doing stuff with you.”

“Ugh,” Sanji gagged, “Get a room.”

“Now, Sanji-San,” Brook chided, “They’re married, some level of public displays of affection are allowed. Especially since they are still in their honeymoon phase.”

“And when is that gonna end?”

Law’s eyes were glowing luminously, Luffy’s whole body warming up by the weight in his husband’s gaze as he purred, “Never.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monkey D 'I'ma-shove-this-zombie-back-into-his-grave' Luffy and Trafalgar 'I-hid-in-a-pile-of-bodies-at-the-age-of-ten' Law would be totally unphased by any sort of haunted house or in this case cornfield, which I've actually been it and it was cooler than you would think. This chapter is a little short but don't worry I'll make up for it. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	18. Day 18: Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every week there was a different style of dance that was focused on, this week’s was a waltz, which was probably one of the more boring one’s in Luffy’s opinion. He certainly had fun last week when they did a tango because that was a style that Law had been made for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after Law and Luffy get engaged but before they get married.
> 
> Content Warnings: Consumption of alcohol, dirty dancing

They had started taking dance lessons for two particular reasons; firstly, to allow them to prepare for their upcoming wedding and the inevitable evening of dancing that would be, and secondly, to have a specific designated time each week for them to get to go out and have fun together as the stress of the wedding planning was taken up an inordinate amount of time. 

No one had told Luffy that planning a wedding was going to be so much work, especially since they had thrown out their previous idea of just getting married at the justice-of-the-peace in favor of getting married on a yacht which was an incredibly cooler venue but a totally more complicated process. 

So the Friday night dancing lessons, which were always followed by dinner out, were welcomed interruptions from their hectic lives.

This was their fifth week of lessons and they were stretching out before the lesson officially began in front of the wall of mirrors. 

Law lifted his leg up onto the bar, bending over it to stretch out his inner calf muscles. Luffy got a close up view of the heeled ankle boots his fiancé was wearing, they were suede and had three inch heels with a copper metal tip on the points. Luffy by now they were one of the tallest and most expensive pairs of shoes Law owned and wondered why the surgeon had decided to wear them to a dance lesson. Actually now that he thought about it, Law always wore some kind of heeled boots to their lesson, as opposed to his own comfortable sneakers. “Why do you always wear heels to these? You know you don’t have to, you can just wear normal shoes like the rest of us.” 

Law switched legs on the bar, looking fully comfortable and far too at ease for a man wearing black leggings and had his leg higher than his hip level, “You practice in what you are performing in. I’m wearing heels to the wedding so it only makes sense to wear the same heels while we’re practicing for it. Biggest mistake most people make is not breaking the shoes in before the big day.”

“But why do you insist on wearing heels in the first place?” Luffy questioned, “You’re like already over 6 feet tall without them.”

“It’s not about the height, it’s about the presentation.” Law answered, now with both feet on the ground again, “My whole posture changes with the heels, I stand up straighter, I walk differently, I like the effect and the sound they make against tile or hardwood is incomparable.” 

Luffy groaned, he liked being in a relationship with someone taller, it meant that he could get piggybacks all the time and never had to worry about standing on a chair to get to the top shelf in the pantry but, “At this point I’m gonna have to use a step stool to be able to kiss you.”

Law smiled at him prettily, “Well, there’s plenty of time to bedazzle it before, so if you want to get on that.” He shoved Law’s shoulder, who snickered as they took their places on the dance floor with the other couples. 

Pascia, their lively instructor, began a high beat pop song for them to dance to. She guided them through dance moves to warm up their muscles and get their hearts racing before she moved on to the actual instruction. 

Every week there was a different style of dance that was focused on, this week’s was a waltz, which was probably one of the more boring one’s in Luffy’s opinion. He certainly had fun last week when they did a tango because that was a style that Law had been made for.

As they made their slow circles around the room, focusing on measuring their steps with the beat, Law’s hand that was placed on Luffy’s hip started to wander. His long fingers started to slide down Luffy’s side alluringly to rest on the curve of his ass. In response, Luffy didn’t look him in the eye but moved slightly so that their crotches were a little bit closer together, rubbing against his thigh as they made their steps. 

Pascia on her rounds through the floor chided them, “That’s not where your hand is supposed to be, Law.”

Law’s hand darted back up to the proper place on Luffy, with a tinge of pink on his cheeks and a purse of his lips. Luffy laughed in his face as they went back to doing what they were actually instructed to do. Law pinched his hip in retaliation, “Don’t laugh.” 

“Need to be more stealthy next time.” Luffy giggled. Law scowled at him yet it fell away in moments to a warm smile. They kissed briefly, which wasn’t allowed but when had they ever really followed the rules?

An hour later, when the lesson had finished and they had made it back to the car, Law sighed, leaning back into the driver’s seat with a stretch of arms above his head, “What would you like for dinner tonight, my love?”

Luffy tried to play it casual, “I was thinking something fun. How bout heading to Mad Monk?”

Law turned the keys in the ignition, checking his rearview mirror before shifting the car into gear, “The cabaret? Any reason?”

“Nope.” Luffy said quickly, looking away to hide a mischievous grin. He typed away on his phone for a second before stashing it in his pocket. He and Law debated over what their inaugural first dance of their reception should be since they needed to make their selection for their final performance on the last lesson of the twelve week class the whole drive over.

Mad Monk was a cabaret that they frequented often, since it always had good food and entertainment. Luffy was hoping that it wasn’t too suspicious that he asked to go there specifically but was almost skipping with excitement as they made their way up the sidewalk to the neon lit establishment. 

They had barely made it past the entrance when there was a great cheer from a booth along one of the walls, crowded with at least ten people in a space for eight max. “Surprise!” Luffy cheered, giggling at the baffled expression on his fiancé’s face.

Kid, at the table, laughed as well, crowing, “We’re celebrating your engagement, bitches!”

“He’s so charming.” Law deadpanned with a grin. They ignored the table for a moment to head to the bar and get drinks. 

Urouge, the owner and manager of the bar, who was very used to them visiting and ever-smiling greeted them, “Welcome, boys, I hear we’re celebrating tonight.”

Law shook his head in amazement, “It seems we are.”

“Well, whatever you want, it’s on the house.” 

Luffy drummed his fingers on the bar top, “I’ll have a root beer with lots of cherries in one of those special glasses.” 

“I’ll take whatever nitro you have on tap.” 

“Coming right up.”

When they were alone again, Law turned to face him, placing a hand on his shoulder gently, “You did this?”

Luffy leaned up to peck him on the cheek before leaning back, “I know we said no real engagement party, but I knew you’d want to celebrate with our friends. Friday nights after lessons are always free so I just hit up the group text.”

“Thank you, honey.”

“Hey, we already had a celebratory dinner with my friends, only makes sense that I let you get drunk with yours.”

“You are the perfect man.”

“Not perfect,” Luffy corrected with a shake of his head, “But trying my best, cause you're worth it.”

They took their drinks and headed over to the table that their friends occupied. Almost immediately, they were swarmed by the others asking questions and giving their congratulations. 

Bonney let Luffy squeeze into the booth beside her and she, Ikkaku, Heat and Penguin all leaned in to see the engagement ring shining on his finger. Bonney scoffed around a mouthful of food, “You went cheap, Trafalgar!”

Law didn’t seem phased by the accusation, explaining simply, “He’s going to wear it everyday, if I got a larger, protruding diamond, he would bust it off on something.”

“That’s true,” Luffy admitted, he did have a tendency to be reckless, “Besides, I like it, it’s cute and small but sparkly.”

“If only all men were as easy to please.” Killer muttered, casting a pointed look at Kid, his long term partner in crime and life. 

“It’ll go nicely with the suit I’m preparing.” Hawkins mused, inspecting the ring, “It seems the cards were right about the details after all.”

“How did it happen?” Heat asked, his voice deep voice soft but still able to carry over the sounds of the club around them.

Luffy grinned, “It’s actually a funny story…”

They got an assortment of wings for the table, as well as stuffed potato skins stuffed and onion rings deep fried in a beer batter with honey glaze that was the house special and a whole lot of shots which Luffy didn’t partake in being the youngest one at the table. 

Instead he busied himself with eating since this was serving as his dinner, already predicting that they would hit the diner afterwards so Luffy could get a full meal for himself and Law could get something to absorb all the alcohol he was drinking. Luffy sucked honey off his fingers, closing his eyes for a few seconds. Bar food for him was completely comforting and nostalgic. It was the food he had spent most of the very beginnings of his childhood eating when he was under Makino’s care. He hoped she and the baby could make the trip to attend his wedding, it wouldn’t be the same without them and maybe she could convince Dadan to come as well. He’d like that. 

A while later, Law had been talking with Apoo and Shachi when Luffy interrupted, “Sorry but I was wondering if my fiancé wanted to dance!”

Law’s whole face transformed into a confident grin as he sat his drink down, “If you two will excuse me."

Together they wove their way onto the dance floor, laughing as they slipped between other people until they found a space they could move in. 

Luffy could dance technically, he had been taking lessons for five weeks now and before that he had spent plenty of nights in clubs like this and concerts. He danced best when he was in a crowd of others, surrounded by people grooving to the same rhythm. He did however often find himself off beat with how eager he got and his friends used to say he looked like an octopus with how his limbs waved around. 

No one could say that about Law. There, standing in front of Luffy, on the dance floor, wearing ridiculous three-inch heels, skin tight black leggings, a fitted dark shirt and jean jacket, he danced like it was the thing he had spent his whole life training to do and not being a kick-ass super-star prodigy surgeon. Luffy was utterly entranced watching how every toss of the head seemed coy, the way his whole body moved to the song as a way of visual expression of the melody, the stomping of the heels to the beat, the flash of tattoos that would peak out when his shirt rose, the way the stage lights played over his gorgeous face. 

With a sudden lunge forward, Luffy grabbed the lapels of Law’s jean jacket, looking dead into his golden eyes, “No dancing instructor, no rules.”

Law gave Luffy a knowing look, roping his hands around his waist to pull him flush against his taller body. They grinded on each other, legs slotting together for ease, hands twisted in the fabric of each other’s shirt to keep the other close as they bounced along to the rhythm. Law was singing the chorus in his ear, breaking off in short breathless laughs over how Luffy nipped at his ear. This, within the span of Law’s arms, was where Luffy belonged. 

Later, during a slower song, they swayed together, chest to chest, kissing back and forth in a timeless way as if there was nowhere else they ever needed to be. Even on a crowded dance floor, it felt like they were the only two people in the world. 

And that was a pretty good feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stand by my decision that Law can both sing and dance. He's a prodigy, I think he can do anything if he puts his mind to it. Stay tuned for later in the month of the story of how Law and Luffy got engaged and how they almost didn't get married at all. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	19. Day 19: Pumpkin Patch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law brought their joined hands up to his face so he could the back of Luffy’s hand, “I find the mental image of you being all baby-faced and mugging adults incredibly amusing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter falls between the events of Chapter 2 which is the morning and Chapter 17 which is the evening of the same day so it takes place a little before Law and Luffy's first wedding anniversary.
> 
> Content Warnings: Mentions of illegal activities, past violence

They had just exited the cars from the forty-five minute drive to a farm outside of the city that had a large pumpkin patch and corn field maze during the fall and acres of pine trees to be cut down in the winter. Law was stretching out his tense muscles from being crammed into a small car with four other people when his bubbly husband came bouncing over, “We’re gonna get so many pumpkins!”

“You can get two for decoration.” 

“Only two?”

“Yes.” Law answered firmly, because otherwise they would end up with a whole bunch that they did not have room to fit in the car with all the other passengers. He started to walk with the others to the entrance of the farm.

Luffy came running after him to hurry and stand in front of him with a pout and hands on his hips, “Torao, what’s the point of having money if we don’t spend it?”

He didn’t dignify that by stopping, continuing to breeze past as he asked over his shoulder, “Why do you want to spend so much money on pumpkins that are going to sit on our front porch and will rot eventually?”

“They’re cute!”

“They’re squashes.”

He heard the sound of feet on dirt gaining speed and his sixth sense told him to drop into a crouch right as there was a whoosh of air and his husband went flying over him, tucking into a neat ball to crash into the ground that ended with him flopping onto his back due to leftover momentum. He had meant to knock Law off balance while jumping onto his back but Law hadn’t felt like getting his pants dirty and he successfully avoided the glomp. Luffy giggled, still on his back, looking up at Law, “You’re getting better at dodging.”

“What have I told you about doing that in public?” Law demanded, glaring down at him.

“We’re outside, it’s fine.” Was pointed out with a dramatic roll of the eyes.

Law stepped over his body with a huff, “You act like you’ve never been anywhere before.”

“He always acts like that.” Zoro muttered, being nice enough to help Law’s husband off the ground. 

Sanji chuckled, “Tell your husband about the time you got kicked out of the mall for refusing to stop getting into the fountain to get loose coins.”

“Or when you got kicked out of the food court because you kept sampling from the pretzel stand.” Usopp added with a grin.

Nami snorted, “Don’t forget when he got banned from the movie theater for talking too loudly.”

“Or when he got his arm stuck in the vending machine and then broke it to get out.” Robin supplemented. 

“It wouldn’t give me my chips!” Luffy argued as if that was a viable excuse for breaking a vending machine.

“And the time-” Brook began.

“Okay, we get it!” Luffy interrupted, tips of his ears red.

“No, do keep sharing stories.” Law begged, “I’m loving this.”

“Don’t!” Luffy cried, grabbing Law’s arm to drag him away from his family whose good-natured laughs followed them, “Let’s just get pumpkins.”

Law chuckled, shifting so that they were holding hands properly as they strolled among the rows of pumpkins, musing out loud, “So you had mellowed out by the time we met.”

Luffy shrugged, kneeling down to inspect a pumpkin closer, “I wasn’t a minor anymore so I could actually get arrested for the stunts I pulled. I spent a few days in jail and that was enough to make me never want to do that again.”

Law had never been caught by the authorities before for any crime he had committed since he was a trained professional but he could imagine that it would be a sobering experience, especially the certain place Luffy had been sent to.

Luffy moved them to another pumpkin further down the row, grinning, “I was even crazier when I was growing up. You would not believe how many people my brothers and I mugged.”

Law brought their joined hands up to his face so he could the back of Luffy’s hand, “I find the mental image of you being all baby-faced and mugging adults incredibly amusing.”

Luffy smiled ruefully, his kaleidoscope eyes doing that gentle dance between nostalgia and grief, “It was pretty fun.”

“C’mon,” Law encouraged, “Let’s pick out these pumpkins. After reconsidering, I only think it’s fair that we get a pumpkin for each member of the household since the pets aren’t here, we’ll have to choose for them.”

Luffy’s face brightened up like sunlight streaming through the clouds on a rainy day, “Bepo and Polar will totally want white ones!”

“Of course,” Law agreed, “Sunny has to get an orange one.”

“Do you think we can get them to help us paint them?”

“We might be able to get them to drip a paw in the paint then we can press it onto the pumpkin, if that’ll work for you.”

“That’s gonna be so cute!”

“For sure.”

Later after they had picked out their five pumpkins and had gone through the corn field maze, they were waiting for all the others to finish. They were at a picnic table, sharing a large bag of kettle corn and a cup of hot apple cider. 

They had gotten bored of just waiting and had begun a game of tossing kettle corn into the other’s mouth, like the adults they were. Luffy had just caught the fifth one in a row when Law remarked, “You’re good at this.”

Luffy laughed, positioning his head for another one, “I don’t know why you doubt me, honey.”

Law smiled coyly, “They do say that behind every good catcher, is a good pitcher.”

Luffy snorted, his eyes doing that adorable squinty thing, “Do they say that?”

“I don’t know,” Law admitted, “I didn’t play sports as a kid. I was too busy dissecting frogs.”

“Hopefully, they were already dead.”

“They were, medical malpractice is nothing to joke about.”

“Sure, babe.”

They had resumed their game, when Usopp came over with a grimace, “We lost Zoro.”

Luffy choked on a kernel, “Seriously?!”

“He’s in the corn maze.”

Law frowned, he had only been around the man for less than three years but even he knew better, “I thought you were keeping him out of there for that particular reason.”

Usopp groaned, “We were but then he got out of sight, got lost so he wandered into the maze and now he’s like lost _lost._ ”

Law took a sip of their cider, offering up what he thought was a good suggestion, “You guys might want to invest in one of those kid-leashes.”

Luffy leapt up from the bench, almost overturning the whole picnic table in his enthusiasm, “We gotta go find him! Let’s go!” He grabbed Law’s arm to tug himself towards the corn field. 

Law pulled his arm back with a scowl, “Why do I have to come?”

Usopp grabbed his other arm, explaining flushed, “Because, you’re part of the family now, and family finds family when they’re lost.”

Law let himself be dragged along on an expedition to find a man who probably had developmental topographical disorientation and thought maybe he should refer Zoro to a specialist. Maybe he could even get Zoro a family discount since that was what they were apparently.

The thought wasn’t as troubling as he once believed it would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That concludes the Straw Hat's journey to pumpkin patch, it was something different to do, combining multiple prompts into one day in their timeline, hoped you enjoyed. Can you believe that I actually might have figured out why Zoro always gets lost? I thought it was just a running gag but there's a legitimate brain disorder where you can't process geographical information. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	20. Day 20: Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law sighed, laying his hand on top of Luffy’s, “It’ll be alright.” He leaned over to kiss Luffy chastely yet lacking no gentleness, “Besides you’re here now, I want to focus on our evening.” 
> 
> “Yeah! The mystery evening!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set right after Law and Luffy get engaged 
> 
> Content Warnings: None

Law had been riding a high of emotions for a whole day straight, buoyed forth with unnatural happiness to the point that his surgical team had to remind him multiple times that maybe smiling like some crazy person wasn’t the best when dealing with patients. He couldn’t help it though, it felt like everything was aligning. The future didn’t loom ahead anymore, instead it seemed to beckon him, propel him to run straight to it and embrace it fully. 

He was on his lunch break when the realization hit him like a baseball bat over the head, “Shit!”

Penguin looked over at him concerned, “You alright, boss?”

Law buried his face in his hands, mumbling, “I made plans for something special but forgot I had the plans.”

“That’s not like you.” Shachi added, taking a bite of his salad. 

“I know,” Law groaned, shaking his head, “I just got so caught up in everything that it completely slipped my mind.” 

“Well, is it still too late to do it?” Penguin asked, trying to be helpful. 

“Technically no; literally, yes.”

“Okay.” They said hesitantly, exchanging looks with one another.

Law wanted to slam his head against the table, angry at himself. What was the damn point of planning shit, if you forgot you planned it. He took a breath through his nose, straightening up. He could fix this though, it could still be saved, the whole point of the evening’s plans was moot but they could still go out and enjoy the plans that he had meticulously crafted. 

That was how he found himself sitting at the bar of a high end yet unstuffy restaurant that Friday night, in knee high black boots that had a pair of white skinny jeans tucked in, a light blue and white striped button up and a black blazer. Both sets of sleeves were rolled up the elbows, he had on a pair of tassel earrings and a silver necklace from which dangled a stamped coin.

He had been sipping on a vodka martini when Luffy came breezing in, looking very handsome in a pair of dark fitted blue jeans, a nice cream turtleneck, complete with ankle-high brown boots, a long tan overcoat and the beautiful new ring that had made a home on his left ring finger. 

He turned on his bar stool to smile at his fiancé, “You look great.” 

Luffy clambered up onto the stool next to Law, grinning, “Thanks, I followed your instructions of, and I quote, ‘wear something nice but not super fancy, don't wear a suit or anything it’s not a big deal but look nice’.” He cocked his head at Law with inquisitive eyes, “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” Law lied, taking a gulp of his cocktail, “It’s just hard to coordinate outfits. I mean, there’s black tie and suits, and more casual stuff but that whole semi formal thing is a harder concept to grasp.”

“You’re acting weird tonight.” 

It was true, his usual blasé attitude had been replaced with a nervousness that made no sense whatsoever because he was with his  _ fiancé _ . “I’m sorry,” He apologized truthfully then followed it up with another white lie, “Work has me a little off center.”

“That sucks.” Luffy murmured, placing a hand on his knee comfortingly. 

Law sighed, laying his hand on top of Luffy’s, “It’ll be alright.” He leaned over to kiss Luffy chastely yet lacking no gentleness, “Besides you’re here now, I want to focus on our evening.” 

“Yeah! The mystery evening!” 

“Let’s get it started, shall we?”

After a nice dinner, that included pleasant, lively conversation as well an exceptional lamb shank ravioli in a brown butter sauce paired with a glass of chianti that Law thoroughly enjoyed, he escorted Luffy to their next location.

The restaurant and all of their other destinations tonight were located in the arts district, in the center of downtown where the city planners, architects, engineers and of course, artists had gone all out to deck out the cultural hub of the city. Every building had its distinct form that contributed to the overarching style, walls decorated with murals, graffiti and mosaics, freestanding sculptures and statues made of both stone and steel. 

Everywhere was accessible by foot so it was no hassle for them to walk towards the large park that’s secondary lawn always had a seasonal exhibit. In the spring and summer, there were flower gardens; in the winter, Christmas lights everywhere in intricate displays. For autumn, there were sculptures made from woven straw or combined with large bales. 

They walked among towering sculptures of giraffes, elephants, buffalos, rhinos, flamingos, and a few impressive dinosaurs including triceratops and the showstopper a 40 foot long Apatosaurus. By the time they had finished touring the exhibit, the sun had set for the day. 

“That was fun, it’s always cool to see what they have going on. It’s totally crazy how people just make stuff like that, like can you imagine?”

“No. We are very gifted individuals, but artists we are not.”

“Yep.”

“C’mon. We’re going into this bakery. There’s an order for us to pick up.” 

Law led them to the central plaza that was bracketed on every side by rows of shops, including the bakery Law had arranged to get their dessert from.

The staff was kind, offering them a small bag containing silverware and napkins when they found out that they intended to eat their dessert before they got home. 

Law guided Luffy to the black granite fountain in the middle of the plaza, a large circular water basin that had two tiers decorated with high relief sculptures and several spouts that were able to be timed to music. Around the basin was a large lip, big enough for people to sit on without fear of getting wet and that was where Law sat down their dessert box.

Inside was a five inch cake, marbled with a cream cheese frosting which meant it wasn’t too sweet for Law to enjoy as well. 

Luffy gasped with delight, “You got us a whole cake?!”

Law cut a bite out with his fork, “I knew just two slices weren't going to cut it so I decided to get a small whole cake and call it done. Go ahead and eat whatever you want. If we have leftovers, that’s fine. If we don’t, that’s fine too.” 

They sat on the edge of the fountain, eating their cake, booted feet entangled. It was a pleasant evening, not too cold but cold enough that it justified them being pressed so close together. The stars were peeking out from behind the glare of the city’s lights and the plaza, besides the continual pour of the fountain, was a quiet buzz of people going enjoying the night just like they were.

Law put his fork down neatly on the lid of the cake box, cleared his throat to try to get rid of the almost cloying sweetness, looked at the way the water sparkled due to the lights, “And this was when I was going to propose.”

Luffy almost dropped his fork in shock, “What?” 

“I had originally planned to bring you here to propose after the wonderful evening we had shared, but I circumvented my own plans by spontaneously proposing in the living room.” He clasped his hands in his lap, staring at the tattooed crosses on the back of his hands as he explained, “I planned the whole thing already so I decided that we should enjoy the evening anyway.”

Luffy nudged him gently with his shoulder so Law would be forced to meet his fiancé's eyes, “Honey, you didn’t need to do all of this.”

“You know how I feel on the issue-” 

“You should never surprise your partner with the prospect of marriage, you should surprise them with the-” 

“Proposal, yes.” Law finished, “We had talked about it before, we knew we were going to get married. You saying yes wasn’t dependent on the success of this evening, it was just a way to make it something special because it’s something that was only supposed to happen once. People always ask how ‘did he propose’ when they find out,” He gestured to the area around them, “Well, I was trying to give you a good story but then I jumped the gun and here we are.” 

Luffy turned to the fountain, kaleidoscope eyes mostly unreadable as he contemplated. Law left him to his silence, knowing that the whole evening’s events could stand to be reviewed again in context. Finally, Luffy turned to Law with a sly grin, “You know, we could still do it.” 

Now it was Law’s turn to be shocked, “What?”

The reflection of the water danced across his beautiful face as he affirmed, “I don’t mind if we do it again. We can tell everyone that you did it like this, and keep the first one to ourselves.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. It'll be like our secret, something special for just you and me.” Luffy took his engagement ring off and handed it over to Law eagerly, bouncing in place to answer a question he already had answered once before.

Law had spent over three hours at the jewelry store, agonizing about which ring to buy; a ring that would both physically represent Law’s love and that would encapsulate Luffy’s personality. 

Even though he liked dressing up on occasion- wearing something other than cutoff jeans, and whatever pretty jewelry Law bought for him- Luffy wasn’t a big fan of expensive gaudy things in his day to day life, preferred having something that wouldn’t break and would be incorporated with ease into his routine. 

In the end, Law decided on a simple band of golden filigree that was woven together, hardened and shaped. The golden threads had been smoothed out so that the braided edges wouldn’t catch on anything, and was reminiscent of his favorite straw hat. “Alright, but after I put this back on, you’re not taking it off.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

He held Luffy’s hand in his, twisted the ring in between the fingers of his other hand, taking a moment to compose himself for the speech he had prepared, “Everyday that we have spent together, no matter how hard, no matter how crazy,” He met Luffy’s gaze solidly, “Has only made me wish for a million more, for the rest of our lives.” He dropped to one knee, offering the ring up, “Will you marry me, and make that dream a reality?”

Even though Law had already asked Luffy to marry him, even though they had discussed getting married for a while, even though it was practically unthinkable at this point for them to ever be separated, even though they had become such integral parts of each other’s lives so quickly, Luffy still seemed blown away, his smile watery as he responded, “Yes!”

Law was barely able to slip the engagement ring to its rightful place before Luffy surged forward to kiss him. Law kissed back passionately, overcome with joy once again. He rose from his kneel to join Luffy sitting on the side of the fountain, clutching their joined hands to his heart, every beat of it declaring  _ I love, I love, I love _ . 

There their lips sweetened with fondness and icing met, their laughter rang out as loud as the crashing water behind them, their exhilaration burning stronger than any chill that tried to reach them, their future brighter than any star in the night sky. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I know Apatosaurus are bigger than 40 feet but it's made out of straw, give them a break. For this prompt, I knew I wanted to write about their engagement but I thought it would be nice if I left their first engagement as a secret to them. Also, shoutout to @maye for dropping knowledge in the comments of last chapter, always fun to explore the intricacies of One Piece and its many characters. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	21. Day 21: Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy stood nearby, trying not to hover though he longed to intervene, to cover Law in kisses, to surround him in the warmth of his love. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place a little before Law and Luffy's third wedding anniversary 
> 
> Content Warnings: Sleep depravation, hallucinations, mentioned Tragedy of Flevance

“Baby.” 

Luffy stirred, exhaustedly, not happy to be pulled out of a nice dream. Now he loved his husband but his habit of not sleeping through the night meant that sometimes Luffy was kept up by extension as well. That was all well and fine except Luffy wasn’t a teenager anymore, he needed more than four hours of sleep. “Mm?” He vocalized to tell Law he was paying attention. 

“Birdcage.” 

Luffy groaned, looking for a new cool spot on his pillow, “Wha?”

“Birdcage.” Law repeated again in a tight voice.

Luffy squeezed his eyes shut with a frown, didn’t Law know what time it was? The word suddenly clicked and it was like a bucket of ice water washing over him, setting every nerve in his body afire with a chill of fear and panic. He shot awake, sitting upright with a tight breath, fists curled into the blankets. 

Birdcage was the word for when one of them was in a dark place mentally, it meant  _ I’m trapped, I need help, I need you, save me before something happens that I can’t take back. _

Law was standing by the window, illuminated by the streetlights on the road outside. Luffy could see his form trembling even with his back turned. He was in his boxers and a threadbare sweatshirt from his days in undergrad, tattoos standing out starkly against his flesh that seemed paler than normal in the moonlight. 

“Law?” Luffy asked quietly, pushing the blankets aside and shifting so his feet were on the carpeted floor, “Come back to bed.” 

“Can’t.” Law said faintly, his voice sounding thin like he was trying to talk from a great distance away. 

“Come on.” Luffy urged, slipping out of bed to pad on bare feet over to the window, rubbing his arms, “It’s cold.”

“It won’t change anything,” Law murmured brokenly, “They won’t be there, they can’t if they’re dead.” 

Luffy stopped in his tracks, “What?” 

“They’re dead.”

“Who?” He asked, heart-thudding from within his ruined chest, hoping that there hadn’t been any bad news that had been delivered while he slept.

“All of them,” Law breathed out, eyes far, far away from this moment in time, “Everyone.”

Realization dawned slowly, the tragedy of a white city coming to mind. Luffy had been told mostly what had happened but he always knew that there was more to the story that Law left out. He did know for sure that over eighteen years later the event that had happened were so horrific that they were embedded in Law’s psyche and would manifest at times when his sleep deprivation was at his worse, brought on by higher than usual levels of stress and incremental loss, there was mental disorientation over exactly where he was in time and sometimes more scarily hallucinations for Luffy to witness. 

He had known Law had been wound tight, there was a conference coming up that he was a keynote speaker at and something going on with his family’s business. Luffy wanted to kick himself for being so stupid, finding himself having to breathe past a lump in his throat as his thoughts raced,  _ I should have known better, I should have stayed up until I knew he fell asleep too, I should have put him to sleep, my poor, sweet husband was right there beside me suffering and I did nothing _ .

Unable to take back the past, Luffy focused on trying to correct the present. He finished walking over to Law by the window, stood close but did not touch, “I’m not dead.” 

He inched closer to his husband so that he was in his line of sight fully, so there would be no surprising movements. “Come on,” He cooed, “Here, focus on me.” He cleared his throat, trying not to get stuck in the vortex of his own mind, “I’m here.”

His golden eyes stuttered over, fingers twitching, “Here?” 

“Here.” Luffy repeated, continuing to speak in a soothing, even tone, “In our bedroom. It’s that time of night that you love, the witching hour, isn’t that fun? Everything’s quiet, everything’s calm. The pets are in the next room sleeping soundly, you’re standing here with me. We’re all safe.”

Law’s eyes were starting to focus, the murkiness fading away the longer he talked, “It’s late October, honey, it’s cold by the window, come to bed where it’s warm.” He offered with a soft smile, “Or I could run you a nice hot shower, if you wanted. I’ll get in with you and we can just sit and rack up the water bill.”

“Bed is good.” Law mumbled.

“Okay.” He agreed, starting to walk backwards so he could keep his eyes on Law as he beckoned, “We’re gonna get into bed, where we belong, cause it’s late, babe, it’s real late and we’re tired, aren’t we?”

Law shuffled forward, having transitioned into the docile state that made Luffy wanna cry because his strong husband should never have to look so subdued. He sat on the bed yet made no move to get underneath the covers. Luffy stood nearby, trying not to hover though he longed to intervene, to cover Law in kisses, to surround him in the warmth of his love, to imprint on him that he was safe, that he could trust Luffy to protect him while he got much needed rest. 

“Can you-” Law asked, limbs jerkily motioning to his body. 

Luffy sat down on his husband’s lap slowly in case he changed his mind. He pulled his legs up onto the bed so he was sitting horizontal, the majority of his body on Law though he balanced a portion of his weight on his legs to not make the pressure suffocating. “I’ll sit right here as long as you want me to. This is my favorite seat in the world.” That got him a smile, it was wane and didn’t fully reach his gorgeous eyes but Luffy would take every little victory he got. 

Law’s trembling arms wrapped around him and he dared to kiss his husband’s cheek, reaching over to grab the comforter and wrap it around Law’s shoulders like a cape. He tipped his head onto Law’s shoulder, starting up another stream of soothing words, “I’m gonna have you call in from work today. You’re going to stay until noon at the earliest, don’t fight me on it, you need to get some solid recovery sleep in. Then, later, if you’re feeling up to it, we could go to the diner and take advantage of their all-day breakfast menu. You know me, I can eat pancakes any time, anywhere, no big deal. Did I ever tell you about the time I was with Zoro and we were…” 

He kept talking, stayed in Law’s arm until they stopped trembling before he tucked him under the blankets with infinite care, laying against Law’s tattooed chest so the pumping of his heart could be felt even through their clothes, stroked the lines in his husband’s temple until they faded away, lost in the throes of blessed sleep. Luffy continued to sit vigil, praying that he could be enough to keep the nightmares at bay, that the sun would rise soon and they could both face the new day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you imagine the psychological trauma Law has? The psychological trauma most One Piece characters have? Crazy stuff. After this chapter there are only 10 left for the month, I'm planning on finishing this month just how I started it so some of them are gonna be fluffy, some of them are not. Hope you enjoy anyway. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	22. Day 22: Demon/Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now, his job complete and report turned in, the only reason he wasn’t starting the hour and a half drive back to his home city was because he had lunch plans, but after some thorough searching he couldn't find his lunch date anywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, folks just wanted to preface this chapter by saying that when you take events and actions from the series out of the context of devil fruits and all sorts of crazy fun things that are synonymous with One Piece it’s actually dark as fuck. The Doflamingo family is full of literally insane people who murder and exploit others as well as being a part of a major drug and weapons smuggling ring. In this AU, Law and Cora never got out of the family so they’re involved in all those activities as well. Please read responsibly. 
> 
> Takes place a few months before Law and Luffy’s seventh wedding anniversary. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Graphic depictions of torture, murder and mafias

From the beginning, it seemed that Law had been born for the macabre. His first tears he had shed been pure blood. He knew there was a logical medical explanation for it, but he couldn't help but think that it was some sort of signifier for the rest of his life. 

Even when he was a child, surrounded by a loving family with plenty of other children he could play with, he found himself drawn to his parents' work, though not for their noble reasons for helping people. No, Law was interested in taking things apart to see how they worked, to see if he could put them back together and see if they still worked. To this day he remembers having a dead frog in hand for their homeroom photo, scowling about having been dragged away from his fun. 

After, when he was fostering an interest in joining the professional medical field, impatient that his training didn’t allow him to do anything for several more years legally, Doffy would bring him people that needed to be gotten rid of and he would have his way. It was his way of experimenting about human anatomy, of taking what the textbooks and research papers talked about and putting it to the test. 

That was how he learned the most painful ways to kill a person and since then it had been used brutally. 

He was taught alongside Baby and Buffalo, initiated into the family by being passed around, taught by their elders on how to shoot guns and throw knives, to wire bombs, to break bones with nothing but their fists. He had been made well-rounded and perfectly lethal. Like every member though, he had a specialty that no one else possessed, that made him a valuable contribution to the family’s overall capabilities. Like Gladius had his bomb making, Diamante his swordsmanship, Trebol’s ability to make people disappear, Law had his knack for torture. 

Once he began his professional career in earnest, he had made a deal with Doffy that no one that he ever tortured would be allowed to live. He couldn’t risk anyone who had seen his face living to give a description. He was practically a phantom, an agent of the family that not the authorities or rivals could figure out but could always recognize. He was given the moniker ‘the Surgeon of Death’ for his tendency to use scalpels, for his victims to be brutally disembodied, and for the experiments he was rumored to be conducting. 

His move away then marriage, had made his time in the family’s facilities decrease, so in response he had upped his productivity. He could have grown men crying in less than fifteen minutes. The trick was to stay far away from the usual methods. Waterboarding, electrocution, it was all so mediocre. His gift lay in his usual of unorthodox methods, the use of medical instruments to target specific points that caused pain in a way that was harder to ignore. If you wanted a person to talk, you had to keep them guessing about the further heights of pain that could be inflicted. The thought that things could get worse, usually led to the offering of information in desperation. 

He dealt out torture with the same detachment he had when he was operating on a patient, focused only on completing the task and getting the results he needed, everything else was just background noise. Sometimes, when the job was complete, he would just slit their throats with a scalpel and let them choke to death, or if they were lucky they would succumb to their injuries well before that. 

Today, following a session that had taken a little longer than expected, he felt slightly vindictive, leaving the victim to bleed out slowly from the wrists. To let the impertinent scum- who had wasted Law’s time four separate times by claiming he knew nothing more, only to spiel when Law brought out another technique- think about how his life was draining away and that there was nothing he could do about it. While the man bled out, Law finished writing his report, knowing that any detail that might have slipped past him would be caught in review. 

When that was done he gathered up the folder, the audio tape and the videotape into a gallon sized baggie before leaving the operating theater, ordering to the two guards standing post at the door to take the body to the incinerator. 

As he strolled through the spacious halls of the family complex, he noted the reactions of those he passed. The grunt underlings and staff cowered away from his presence, recognizing who he was as the highest ranked younger member, knowing how dangerous he was. His frequent absences meant that they couldn’t read his moods properly, therefore unaware of when they should go about their jobs or when they should run without looking back.

The scariest thing was, he liked the feeling. He relished the power, he exploited it gleefully, he had always been a favorite of the brother pair in charge and due to that he received privileges that others didn’t, a leniency for independent actions that would not be tolerated by lesser others. He had spent the last almost twenty-three years surrounded by assassins, thieves and generally crazy people yet never felt discomfort. It would be hypocritical to think otherwise. No matter how nice things could be back at home with the husband he had won the heart of, the job and peers he had earned, the house he had bought legally, the ragtag army of friends he had cultivated, he could never forget that this was where he got his start. They had saved his life when no one else would and for that he was indebted forever.

In the highly secured left wing, which contained all of the information needed to run a crime empire, was the record hall which Law entered. 

Set up at one of the desks was Baby 5, sorting through inventory reports from the armory. She had been put on desk work due to her maternity leave, fourteen months ago but he was sure it wouldn’t be long before she begged Doffy to let her back into the field, as her five month old baby girl in the carrier beside her, would soon no longer need to be breastfed exclusively. “Hi, Law.”

“Hey, Baby.” He greeted back, offering up the baggie, “Will you file this for me? It’s my morning assignment.”

“Finished with it already?” She hummed taking the evidence and perusing the folder to make sure all the documents were filled out correctly, a secretarial work that Law didn’t take offense to. 

”Wrapped it up five minutes ago.” He answered leaning against the edge of the desk, peering into the baby carrier to look at his niece. 

“Efficient as always.” She left the desk with the evidence bag to add it to a pile nearby for review, while Law took in the impressive stacks that contained over thirty years of records. Everything was painstakingly hand written, meticulously recorded on old fashioned cassette and VHS tapes so they could be easily destroyed without a trace. Job done, Baby returned to her desk, checking her baby’s sleeping form before propping her chin on a flat palm, “How’s your husband?”

“He’s good. He makes me laugh.” Law answered truthfully. He had never met another person who could make him feel happiness like Luffy could. 

“That’s always nice.” She mused.

“What about you?” He asked back. They were the only two of the younger generation to be married: him first and her secondly. 

“Sai’s fine, he’s back to working more.” A coy look entered her eyes, “Actually we haven’t been able to spend much time together since, do you think-”

“No.”

“Law! Please!” She practically begged, “Just for a night!”

He shook his head, disgruntled, “There’s a reason I don’t work in pediatrics.” 

“Then let Luffy watch after her! You don’t even have to do anything then!” 

Law snorted, “And let him catch baby fever _again_? The answer is no.”

Baby slumped onto her desk dramatically, “Who else is gonna do it?”

“Get Buffalo to watch her.”

“You know I can’t trust him!”

“Then ask Gladius.”

“He’ll teach her arson!”

“Always good to start them young.”

“Well, screw you!” She declared, pouting. 

He flipped her off as he walked away so he could laugh at her offended gasp. Both she and Sugar were far too easy for an older brother like him to rile up, he thrived off it whenever he had to return.

Now, his job complete and report turned in, the only reason he wasn’t starting the hour and a half drive back to his home city was because he had lunch plans, but after some thorough searching he couldn't find his lunch date anywhere.

With a frown he found himself in the lavish plaza, where Machvise and Giolla were indulging in cocktails at the early noon hour. They smiled when they saw his approach, pausing in their conversation as he asked, “Have you two seen Corazon?”

“He’s in a meeting with the other executives, cutie pie.” Giolla answered, twisting her strand of pearls. 

“Still?” They had started that meeting a little while after he had gone into the theater. 

“They’re going over projections-iin.” Machvise explained and that would do it. The business side of running an international drug ring was tedious and those meetings could easily run for hours. He hated those kinds of meetings, much rather preferred to keep his briefings and reports succinct. 

“Come, Law,” Giolla urged, patting the seat beside her, “Sit and share a drink with us while you wait.”

No better excuse forthcoming, he sat down, “Nothing too strong. I have to drive home later.”

Giolla frowned disappointingly as she waved a hovering servant over, “You’re not staying?”

“I can’t, I was only able to get today off of work because Doffy said it was high priority and they’ve got me on a 6am start tomorrow.”

“Blasted corporations,” Machvise muttered, “Scheduling things before the sun is up, it’s not natural-iin.”

Law sighed, accepting a mentira, which the household staff knew was his preference, “I’d be up anyway, might as well get paid a hefty sum for it.”

Machvise guffawed and he leaned back into the patio furniture with a thoughtful sip of his drink. For mid-September the weather was still pleasant, which was probably why they were out in the courtyard in the first place, to soak up the last moments before the winter came and shut them all indoors.

Speaking of shut indoors, the executives' meeting discussing future projections was because one of their suppliers got busted only two days ago. That was why Law was called late last night, they had managed to get the second in command who had escaped capture and Law to interrogate him while the information still had relevancy then subsequently murder him when it was extracted. 

He was listening to the Giolla and Machvise debate the intricacies of art forgery, which was Giolla’s specialty when Rosinante entered the courtyard, feathers ruffled both physically and metaphysically. Despite the heavy frown on his face, his voice was gentle, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Law got to his feet quickly so he could follow after his pseudo-father. “You two have fun!” Giolla called as way of parting. 

He waved goodbye, hurrying to keep with Rosinante’s long strides. When they had exited the plaza, slipping into one of the numerous corridors so they could get to the garage and take a car out for lunch, he asked, “How bad is it?”

Rosinante huffed out a plume of smoke, “Not good, and let’s leave it at that.”

Law caught Rosinante's arm, stopping him so they could meet eyes, “But it is just a setback or are we in trouble?”

“It will be a hard setback for the last quarter, though Doffy is confident that we can bounce back. You know how the holidays are profitable for drugs and weapons.” 

At a local restaurant that they tended to frequent when they wanted some space for the other family members, Rosinante asked as they ate their appetizers, “Will you have to go back after lunch?”

“I already finished. He was tough but I always find a vertically split femur bone gets most people talking after that it was short work.” Rosinante shot him an agonized look, a long suffering concoction of regret and dejection. 

For the first time that morning, Law felt tendrils of guilt curling in his chest; not for his actions per se but for the implications of them. Cora had always wanted more for him, had wanted him to live a normal life away from all the madness. He was the one who had wholeheartedly supported Law’s decision to move away and had been nothing but enthused about Law’s choice of partner and the routine he had settled into. Cora had wanted for Law to escape completely when he was far younger but at this point it was too late for either of them. 

He looked down at his salad quietly, deciding that there would be no more talk of family business while they were together. Rosinante seemed to have a similar idea, asking lightly, “How’s my favorite son-in-law?”

Law smiled because his husband was one of his favorite subjects, “He’s doing well. He’s a bit stressed, midterms are coming up. I’m helping him study tonight after I get home.”

“Don’t overburden yourself. It won’t help either of you if you get into a bad spell.”

“I know,” He muttered, spearing a tomato with his fork, “Believe it or not but I’ve lived with me before.”

“I just worry.” Cora sighed out, brown eyes forlorn. The hour-and-half distance separation had been hard on both of them, even thirteen years after the move. 

“I know you do.” Law soothed, “It’s alright. I’ll let you know when it’s time to worry.”

Rosinante chuckled, “You do that.”

—

“I’m home.” Law called as he closed the front door behind him with a kick, “How are your flashcards?” There was an antagonized groan which made Law chuckle, while Bepo and Sunny came running over to greet him. He weaved around their wiggling bodies, heading towards the kitchen with the takeout he had picked up on his way home.

Luffy was lying facedown on the couch, index cards and colored markers scattered around him, a textbook absolutely covered in sticky notes and highlighter ink on the coffee table as well as a printed study guide. “Why did I ever think changing careers was a good idea?”

“Because you were burnt out at your other job.” Law reminded helpfully as he grabbed silverware from the drawer.

“But is it worth getting a degree?” Luffy asked, seemingly questioning every choice he had ever made in life that brought him to this point, a mountain of a midterm that seemed impassable. 

Law pulled a beer out of the fridge for himself since his day had involved over three mind numbing hours of driving and selected a bottle of apple and guava juice for his husband because neither caffeine or alcohol would benefit his current situation, “You tell me.”

There was another drawn out groan in response and Law took a carton of orange beef served over white rice with him to the couch, “Smile, I bought dinner.”

Luffy sat up quickly at that, already grinning as he reached for the food, “Is that my favorite?”

“Only the best for you, my dear.” He placed his hands on his hips, “Now, we’re going to take a break to eat dinner and then we’re going to go over your flashcards again and I’ll run you through a timed practice test, we’ll have dessert while I grade it and we’ll figure out the best course of action after that.”

Luffy looked up at him with wide eyes, “You’re really gonna help me study for hours?”

“Of course. You’re far smarter than you give yourself credit for, you just need someone to help keep you focused and bounce ideas off of.” He grinned proudly, “I happen to be a genius and also am hopeless in love with you so I’m your man for the job.”

Luffy leapt off the couch to lean up on his tiptoes to kiss Law with a swoon, “You’re an angel, babe.”

Law laughed shortly, kissing his husband on the forehead, “You keep thinking that.”

One of these days, Luffy would learn the truth and he would never look at Law the same again. There would be no question over the type of person Law really was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That one was a doozy to write. It's interesting to think about what would have happened in canon if Law had never left the Donquixote Pirates.  
> Fun fact, I was born with clogged tear ducts so when I was only a few hours old the doctors had to stab the lower punctum of my tear ducts with a needle causing the first tears I ever cried to be blood, it’s probably the most hard core thing that I’ve ever done in my life. I still have the puncture scars to this day. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	23. Day 23: Neighbors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best thing about being in a house, with the neighbors' houses a good fifteen feet away on each side, was that there wasn’t a need to be quiet. Unless Luffy was blasting music from the back patio speakers nobody could hear them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place a little before Law and Luffy's third wedding anniversary
> 
> Content Warnings: Semi-graphic description of oral sex

Luffy had grown up in many different places, he had a complicated relationship with the concept of staying in one place for longer than a handful of years. 

He couldn’t remember the time before he was brought to Makino but once he was with her, things were always busy since she had to run the bar to support them which meant that Luffy was hiding in the folds of her skirts or playing in a corner during the day and sleeping in the lone twin-sized bed with her at night in the small room upstairs where she lived. 

After Shanks, his grandpa had gotten mad about Luffy hanging around criminals for a year so he grabbed Luffy by the scruff of the neck and dragged him up the mountain to be put in the care of Dadan and her gang of bandits. To this day, he never quite understood why one set of criminals was exchanged for another but he had long given up hope in figuring out the way his grandpa came to his decisions. 

With the bandits, there was Ace and then Sabo too and Luffy would bounce between the ratty hideout and the treehouse that they had built together. Everything was fought over, and being the youngest of three, the only thing Luffy really had of his own was the straw hat Shanks had loaned him. His clothes were hand me downs, the things used to entertain himself were scavenged from the garbage. There was no air conditioner in the hot summers nor heating in the cold winters but he was happy. It didn’t last all that long though. Both of his brothers left for bigger and better things so with nothing better to do, he set out on his own. 

The first thing that had been completely Luffy’s in a long time was Zoro. The two of them wandered around together, perpetually hungry and lost until there came Nami, then Usopp and Sanji and so on and so on until they all ended up under one cramped roof. 

It was a madhouse, nine people sharing a three bedroom, two bath house living very separate lives but coming together for meals and to support each other. He shared a room and bed with Zoro since the older teen was opposed to bunk beds like Chopper and Usopp had. The budget was always tight and sometimes it felt like they were out of the house more than they stayed in it with everything that was going on. With Robin’s infinite patience and guidance, he managed to graduate high school then that autumn it all went to hell. 

He had spent six weeks in the hospital, trying desperately to live beyond the huge hole in his chest and heart plus the shitty food. He had moved in with Law afterward, fell in love and was engaged in less than two years.

A little before he got married to Law they moved from Law’s one bedroom apartment to a brand new house that had been built in a nice neighborhood. It was just the two of them in the whole big house besides the two pets. Luffy had never lived in a place like that before, where you couldn’t hear noisy neighbors on the floor above you or yelling down the hallway and didn’t have to worry about anyone stealing your car. He could leave his laundry in the dryer and though Law would scold him for letting the clothes get rumpled, they would still be there when he eventually got around to taking them out. He had access to the fridge twenty four/seven and could walk around the house half-naked or fully naked if he wanted without fear of getting in trouble. At this point they had lived in their home for just over three years, fully comfortable with all the controlled chaos their house operated under. Luffy never failed to get a rush of excitement when he thought about how they weren’t going to be moving any time soon. The house was theirs to keep forever if they wanted. 

Their neighbors were nice too, on the right side was Gatz, whose toga parties were a blast, and to the left was a house full of fifteen women who loved to coo over Luffy, his dogs and his husband. They were all very civil to each other: giving gifts on holidays, extending invitations to house parties, checking mail and watering plants when someone was on vacation. 

The best thing about being in a house, with the neighbors' houses a good fifteen feet away on each side, was that there wasn’t a need to be quiet. Unless Luffy was blasting music from the back patio speakers nobody could hear their activities. They could go swimming at night, they could shout at each other, laugh as loud as they wanted and no one would send in a noise complaint. 

It definitely had other uses as well. 

Luffy had gone back to the family house with Franky, both having left the docks after the work day was complete for dinner. He had hitched a ride because his car was in the shop because maybe Luffy had managed to bend the front axle, don’t ask. 

Law was supposed to join them for dinner then drive them both home afterwards but so far he was fifty minutes late. 

Sanji, never one to let a good meal go cold, had made them start eating anyway which wasn’t a huge deal because Law probably would have insisted they do so himself, chock full of manners and used to the difficulties of scheduling events with groups of people larger than four from his own family experience. 

Luffy was scarfing down his fourth yeast roll slathered in butter since he knew that once his husband arrived he wouldn’t be able to eat anymore out of solidarity to Law’s aversion to all bread in general. Law always said that Luffy didn’t have to do so, but in the same way that Law had halted any trips to a teppanyaki and hibachi grill, Luffy had given up eating bread in his husband’s presence. 

He had only a few bites left when the doorbell rang, Law having never received a house key of his own as he never arrived at the house without Luffy’s company either already inside or unlocking the door for him. 

Brook, who had been in the kitchen, fetching another cup of tea and therefore the closest, opened the door. From the entryway, Law’s smooth voice carried easily into the dining room, “Sorry I’m late, the interview ran later than I thought and by then traffic had built up.”

“It’s no bother, Law-San.” Brook assured, as they walked in to join the others. 

Luffy choked on his roll.

Even when Law wasn’t trying, he was beautiful, the poise in which he carried his tall form coupled with the natural gorgeous features and good sense of fashion made him seem like a model caught in a candid shot. 

Today, when he had put considerable effort into his appearance, he was stunning. Dressed in light blue jeans rolled to the upper calf, showing off fine white socks that were up to his mid calf and the incredible pair of black ankle height heeled boots. He was the peak of layered fashion, a white long sleeve button-up serving as an undershirt for a dark blue button-up which both only had the four middlemost buttons fastened. There was a well tailored black vest over that, as well as a thin pearl white tie with diagonal crossing of thin black lines. His facial hair had been carefully groomed, his navy blue hair arranged into an artful messiness. His usual gold earrings had been exchanged for diamond studs, the wedding ring shined proudly on his finger. They had touched up his face a little for the photoshoot, concealer to hide the bags under his eyes, heavy than usual eyeliner that made his golden eyes stand out even more, a coat of lipstick- only a shade darker than the rest of his tanned skin to make them seem fuller- applied. 

“You look hot as shit, babe.” Luffy blurted out, eyes still caught on the legs that seemed miles long, the tattoos that peaked out behind all the fabric. 

Law chuckled, moving to take his seat at Luffy’s left, “Thank you, honey.” As he sat down, he murmured, “Save that appreciative energy for when we get home.” Now it was Usopp’s turn, who was closest to the two of them, to choke on his food and by the coy grin on Law’s face that had been the plan all along. 

“You had an interview today?” Robin inquired, taking a dainty bite of her dinner.

“Yes, an exposé with a photo spread,” Law explained, accepting an offered plate from Sanji, “The board loves showing me off, it’s not often that there’s a bisexual prodigy that you can wave about for clout.”

“And how was it?”

Law cut his chicken into precise portions, "It was good, the interviewer actually had done research over my field so we had a productive conversation, not to mention all the research she did about my background. The photographer and stylist seemed to be pleased as well.”

“When is the piece coming out?”

“Sometime before the holidays, they’ll send me a copy to proofread before it gets published.” He answered nonchalantly, playing a perfect image of coolness even as his leg brushed against Luffy’s teasingly.

Luffy barely managed to keep it in through dessert, which was saying something since Sanji’s desserts were amazing. It was even harder on the ride home because Law had insisted on having the windows down so his hair did that windswept thing with the beams of the streetlights they passed getting caught in his irises and he was so pretty that Luffy’s throat tightened. 

They made it through the doorway before Luffy descended on Law, pinning him against the door, working at the buttons of his layers hurriedly with his hands while he sucked on the curve of his husband's throat. 

Law laughed at his eagerness, laughed at how Sunny and Bepo prostrated their bodies around to receive pets from their newly arrived owners. They sank down to the floor together, legs completely tangled, arms wrapped around one another, layer after layer of clothing was stripped away until there was no boundary between their flushed skin, between Law’s dick and Luffy’s mouth. Luffy got him off right there in the entryway, on his knees on the tiled floor, their moans of pleasure and cries of delight echoing as their passion escalated to climax. 

Yeah, it was nice to have space of their own, free from having to worry about neighbors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a little of Luffy's backstory for you all, nothing that deviates too far from Canon but we hadn't visited his past as frequently as Law's. Can you guess who the fifteen women who live next door to Law and Luffy are? Here's a hint, they're from a post time skip arc.
> 
> Something to clarify over the last chapter- Law being a part of the Donquixote family, continuing to work and kill for them is not Law’s one secret he’s allowed to keep. Luffy understands what’s happening, he knows his husband is a murderer, he just doesn’t know to what extent and how Law doesn’t feel bad about doing it, that’s what Law fears rejection from if Luffy learns. Stay tuned though, we’ll see the one secret Law’s been allowed to take to the grave.   
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	24. Day 24: Picnic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law made quick work of spreading out their checkered outdoor blanket that had a waterproof nylon bottom so they never had to worry about wet grass, then began to unpack the picnic basket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place mid-September before Law and Luffy's 6th then 9th wedding anniversaries.
> 
> Content Warnings: Mentioned sexual harassment

To be honest, Luffy didn’t expect to go down the career path he ended up in. 

His first childhood dream was to become a pirate when he grew up but that didn’t pan out for obvious reasons. There had been a time when he had considered becoming a firefighter but that idea went out of the window after Ace died. He had been a conundrum for his high school guidance counselor, she couldn’t figure what to do with him either, his lack of interest in any ‘viable careers’ and his dismal grades meant that she had strongly advised that he didn’t make any sort of financial investment in himself until he had a better idea of what that would be, unsurprisingly he agreed with her. After he had graduated high school, he was still trying to figure out what to do when he landed himself in the hospital. It had taken him over a year before he was anywhere close to being able to interact with people without fear. 

Once he was confident he could be integrated into society again, signed off by both his psychologist and his physical therapist, he had gone looking for work. He had taken a job working at Buggy’s newly reinstated circus, a position that he wasn't really qualified for but Buggy owed Luffy for breaking him out of jail, then again Buggy had saved Jinbei and his lives’ by giving them over to Law so they were basically even but Luffy had still claimed a job as a favor. 

Since Law supported him, it was no big deal that his pay was only $8.50 an hour, he was just working as a way to get out of the house really and pretend that he wasn’t just leeching off the generosity of his doctor-turned-friend-turned-boyfriend-turned-husband. He worked mostly during the mornings and early afternoons, dealing with the upkeep of the grounds and the animals with others. He always left a bit before dinner time so he could hang out with Law who got off shift and so he could avoid the nightly shows that included acts with fire that he didn’t react well to. 

It was fun work, though he was always getting into fights with Cabaji, who kept trying to micromanage him, and Alvida’s sexual advances that had gotten bad enough for him to actually bring up a complaint to HR, which was a little funny in retrospect because the HR worker also doubled as a carny that juggled so it was hard to keep a straight face in the facilitated discussion. 

Luffy knew though that it wasn’t what he wanted to do for the rest of his life so when over two years later when Franky told Luffy about an opening at the shipping dock, he had jumped for the opportunity. The old man who had the job until that point had been looking to retire and took a liking to Luffy, offering to teach him the needed skill set as long as Luffy got the necessary certification of a year-long program in marine purchasing and supply management. Luffy had accepted on the spot. 

Year of training over, Luffy had taken over the job as the docks’ lone ship chandler, in charge of providing all the desired commodities, services, supplies and equipment for any ship that was anchored in the port. Due to the location of the city along the coast line that had everything from small fishing vessels, personal sailboats and large cruise ships. It was hard yet exciting work, he was always dancing between trying to engage new clients and keep the ones he currently had happy, basically floundering under massive amounts of paperwork both from suppliers and customers that all needed to be meticulously filed and kept in record books or else he would be subjected to a grueling audit, _again_. 

He hired Carrot to be his assistant only seven months into his posting, to alleviate some of the stress he was under by helping with paperwork and allowing him to actually have days off again since they didn’t both have to be present all hours of the workday. Less than a year after that, he hired Blackback so they wouldn’t have to do the heavy lifting all the time. He had hired Wanda next, on Carrot’s recommendation, and things had been running smoothly since. 

He was pretty proud of their four person team: they hadn’t managed to screw up majorly so far and they had settled into a nice routine, alternating shifts and tasks so no one worked too hard- Luffy’s heat stroke during his first summer working the docks by himself had engraved a painful lesson, one that he wouldn’t wish on any of his employees. 

Today, four years after Luffy had started his job, it was the middle of September with gorgeous weather that boosted all of their moods. Spring and fall were objectively their favorite seasons to work during, since the weather in summer and winter was too extreme to be enjoyable in their job that had them working both in the small office building located to the east of the shipyard and outside often transporting goods from the loading bay to the warehouses or from the warehouse to the ships. They had taken their morning briefing outside in celebration of the fair weather.

“Okay, so we’ve got one of Orlumbus’ ships coming in early next week so we got his stocking shipments coming in tomorrow but we’re mostly business as usual beside that.” The other three voiced their affirmatives then they broke off to complete their daily tasks. For Luffy that meant spending the first hour and a half answering emails and calling vendors. After that, he helped Blackback in the warehouse, moving boxes around on large platform trucks to organize them for separate deliveries to incoming ships. By the time he had finished, the morning had passed. 

They took their lunch breaks in staggered intervals so there was always someone in the office in case there were any phone calls. Today Blackback had been first to leave, followed by Wanda fifteen minutes later, Luffy was supposed to be next and by that time Blackback should have returned so that Carrot could go on hers. 

He was at his desk, working on submitting an order for cordage while Carrot worked on filing their latest receipts when there was a knock on the open doorway. Luffy didn’t glance up at first because dock workers were always coming to the office to ask questions and make small talk- shipwrights were notorious gossipers- but did when there was a soft clearing of a throat that came from a familiar voice.

Luffy gasped in awed delight, leaping out of his desk chair, “What are you doing here?”

Law chuckled at his reaction, holding out their picnic basket and a small potted succulent, “I thought I would surprise my lovely husband on his lunch break.”

“Aw, that’s cute!” Carrot cooed, “Hi, Traffy!”

“Hello, Carrot-ya.” Law greeted cordially before monotoning, “I hate that you got that nickname to spread.” As he gave Luffy the succulent to hold in one hand and took the other hand to lead him away. 

“I’ll be back in an hour!” Luffy called to Carrot, who gave an encouraging thumbs up in response. 

They walked hand in hand up the grassy hill on the outskirts of the docks which had a beautiful view of the large expanse of the ocean in front of them and all of the docks that were bustling with people doing their jobs and enjoying life in general. 

Law made quick work of spreading out their checkered outdoor blanket that had a waterproof nylon bottom so they never had to worry about wet grass, then began to unpack the picnic basket, directing Luffy to put the succulent down as a way to decorate their little scene. “It’s a jade plant, I would have gotten you flowers but the cut ones die and I know that makes you sad and potted flowers are much more finicky than a succulent.”

“I love it, I’m gonna name them Charlie.” Luffy declared, cheeks hurting from how hard he was beaming, “This is so sweet.”

Law smiled back, saying simply, “You deserve it.”

Luffy laughed outright, finally connecting the dots, “They made you take the day off.”

“Yes.” Law groaned, looking equal parts embarrassed and frustrated, “It has to be some violation of a rule to force an employee to take vacation days, remind me to ask one of our lawyer friends.”

Luffy, busy rummaging through the assorted spread of food, questioned, “We have lawyer friends?”

“I think. It seems like we have every other type of friend.” Law sighed dramatically, “Yes, I did get sent home because working fifty days in a row is grounds for that which is lame because I get paid to do a job, why don't they just let me do it. Anyway, you had already left by the time I got back so I took the dogs on a long mid morning walk then I thought I would come surprise you at work for a lunch date. It’s a bit spur of the moment planning so it’s not exactly high quality.” 

“It’s awesome,” Luffy assured, “You are the best husband I could ever ask for.”

Law sprawled out on the blanket with a wry grin, “You’re only saying that because I brought you two types of dessert.”

For a picnic that had been assembled in a short amount of time, it was a great meal. There was sparkling lemonade that they drank straight from the bottle, passing it back and forth as they ate. Bunches of red grapes, apricots and potato chips from the grocery store, there was fried chicken that Law had picked up from a local restaurant on the drive over which was cold but still incredible, and fudgy brownies and sugar cookies from one of their favorite nearby bakeries all eaten on plates that Law had brought from home. 

He told Law about his day so far as they ate their lunch then they started discussing Law’s upcoming birthday and their plans on how to celebrate it. Luffy eventually tabled that conversation for another day so he could straddle Law’s lap and engage in a round of vigorous necking in appreciation for his husband's thoughtful surprise. 

Together they cleaned up their lunching site, putting whatever leftover they had back into the picnic basket for Law to take back home, where he was going to return to spend the afternoon doing laundry and watching tv while he waited for Luffy to get off shift and come home so they could make dinner together. Luffy gave him one final kiss as parting, murmuring, "Thank you."

Law gave him one of those rare, belonged-on-a-magazine-cover smiles, "You are most welcome."

—

Three years later, he had gotten his associate degree in aquaculture so he could take up a job as an aquaculture technician at the local marine biology center to help repopulate the local coast and corresponding body of water. 

It wasn’t a change in careers that he was looking for, but he had found himself increasingly worn out from his work, his disposition unsuited to keeping up a high level of strict management that was needed to run an ever-expanded business. 

One day, he had skipped work, unable to muster the energy to go into the office once he had gotten to the docks and found himself aboard a vessel that was heading out to check up on tagged marine animals. He had helped them out by lugging their equipment around, witnessing first hand the work they were doing to try to preserve and protect the aquatic ecosystem and by the time they had made it back to shore he had asked about job openings.

He had handed his position as chief ship chandler over to Carrot, trained her just like he had been trained while getting his degree at the city’s university. 

Now he spent his days on the artificial decks built out on the ocean, just fifteen minutes down the shore from the docks where he used to work. 

The job was monotonous in some ways but was never boring. He liked walking up and down the aisles, peering into the fish ponds. It was exciting to watch the fish grow from the hatchery into the larger pools and eventually released into the sea. He was well accustomed with numbers and records by now so all the information they had to gather: the constant testing of the water variables, the machinery that needed to be maintained, the daily logs of observations was nothing too difficult. He helped the center with the constant influx of aquatic life that was rescued and needed rehabilitation, putting his strength to good use by hauling full buckets and bags of feed. Ironically, they used Carrot’s services for the upkeep of their ships so Luffy had found a prime position as a liaison. 

On days like today, when he was out on the ocean with the warm wind caressing through his hair, he felt at peace in a way he hadn’t ever thought he would. 

When they docked, returned from their morning expedition to check their data collection buoys, it was lunchtime for Luffy. He had brought his sack lunch like usual to eat while he sat on the pier and watched the waves but when he was on his way to go inside and grab it from the breakroom fridge, a voice he knew better than anyone else's called out, “Hey, honey.”

Luffy gave a little thrilled gasp before running over in his rubber boots excitedly, “Babe, what are you doing here?”

Law gestured to his car, that had the back seat laid down and the trunk swung open, a blanket spread out with paper to-go bags containing personalized burritos and fresh tortilla chips and a small container that held cupcakes, “I figured you wouldn’t mind a surprise lunch date. I’m not sure if you can technically call it a picnic if you eat in a car but no offense the parking lot doesn’t make for the most comfortable place to sit, even with a blanket laid down.”

Luffy giggled, leaning up on his tiptoes to give his husband a hug and a kiss, “You’re the sweetest. I’m so glad I married you.” 

Law grinned at him teasingly, golden eyes glittering, “You’re just saying that since I brought you dessert. Now, you have to take off those boots before you get onto the blanket. Seriously, it's gross.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've talked a lot about Law's careers- both legal and illegal- so I thought it was time to introduce you to Luffy's two different careers in this AU. I think he and Zoro are the hardest two Straw Hat's to translate to the modern setting because their interests are very specific and not super practical in this day and age; I mean I, disappointingly, haven't run into a single swordsman in my life. I've always believed Luffy is infinity smarter than characters in the show and fans have given him credit for. Maybe not in a mainstream 'intellectual' way but he's emotionally very competent and has been shown to calculate his moves, he may have a tendency to be reactionary in his actions but he never just does things without thinking about what they mean.  
> Also, their other set of neighbors are Madame Shyarly and all her café workers, I thought it would be a funny dynamic to live next to basically a sorority house.  
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	25. Day 25: Enemies/Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every now and again, a topic would continue to be brought up over the years, one that would never seem to be resolved. Those topics would vary in severity depending on the effect that the resolution would have on them, their relationship and their lives. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place a little before Law and Luffy's twenty-fourth wedding anniversary. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Mentioned systems of injustice built in a heteronormative world

In another world they would have been enemies technically, they would have antagonized each other often, would have different views on the same end goal. They would have driven each other absolutely insane, butting heads, both leaders in their own right and unwilling to compromise, to sacrifice the freedom they believed they could only maintain by staying separate. They would have never gotten together, the circumstances that would have driven them together wouldn’t have aligned, they would have become allies and possibly friends but they would never take it further, never fulfill each other in the way it seemed they were destined for. They would spend the rest of their lives wondering why there was always a part of them that seemed to be missing. 

But not in this world, in this world, they found themselves being thrown together by fate and making the decision to stay together. They found that their sum of their parts was greater and more beautiful than anything that they could achieve on their own. 

It was a mystery to everyone really. You wouldn’t look at them separately and think that they would be a good match for each other. In fact, you would think that they would never fit together. With Law’s long limbs and height, the choice of careers, the cynical way that he evaluated the world, the gothic preference for dressing compared to Luffy’s softness and flexibility, the way he bounced through life like nothing could keep him down, the sunny smile that lit up his face and eyes which radiated outward for the whole world to feel, the candy colors that made up his wardrobe. No one thought that they would end up as a couple, most certainly not one who had lasted so long except they fit together, unevenly in some places yet that made it all the more precious. 

It wasn’t perfect, because nothing really is, but they always seemed to manage to work things out because that is what it meant to be devoted to making a long-term relationship work. 

They argued often, due to differences in opinions and styles of methods, however it was rarely serious. ‘Squabbled’ Law dubbed it fondly, was what the manner of disagreement they usually found themselves in, normal domestic disputes that occurred from being around a person so much. Sometimes, they let issues fester and build until it blew up in their faces and they yelled until they were hoarse to get it out of their systems. Worse was when there was no yelling, altercations that were full of hurtful words that cut to deep rooted problems in both of them, playing on insecurities and fears in a way that only a person who understood another intimately could manage to do. Only seven times in their twenty plus years of marriage did Luffy storm out in a huff only to break down in tears as soon as he cooled off while Law became closed off and reclusive just to crack and crave affection and affirmation once he thought things through. Only once, did they think that a dispute might end things permanently between them. 

Every now and again, a topic would continue to be brought up over the years, one that would never seem to be resolved. Those topics would vary in severity depending on the effect that the resolution would have on them, their relationship and their lives. 

The concept of having children was one of them and this was the night it would finally be concluded. 

They were at the family house, which had both reduced it’s permanent residents and increased its membership, leading to larger short term gatherings for special occasions and celebrations. Everyone was spread out between the kitchen, dining and living room, informally grouped as they waited for dinner to be served, a hubbub of lively conversation while children of various ages running around in a game of tag that Luffy knew would very shortly be told by Nami to either settle down or go outside. 

Luffy, curled up in his favorite recliner with a glass of wine, watched the scene wistfully. He never thought he would live to see his twenties, much less be two whole years into his forties. He was content with his current job, more than happy with his familial life, overjoyed with his love life but as he witnessed Law- standing across the room having been chatting with Robin- kneel down from his impressive height to bend an ear to a energetic twelve year old’s story, something twisted in Luffy’s chest, a feeling that resurged every so often, one that he had always tried to ignore but wasn’t so sure he should anymore. 

Later, once they had returned home and were getting ready for bed, he gave voice to his thoughts, “I wanna have a baby.”

Law spit a mouthful of toothpaste into the sink, “For real?”

Luffy rolled his eyes, “As opposed to what? For fake?”

“No, I mean, are you serious?” Law asked, rinsing water over his toothbrush before putting it into the holder. 

“Yeah.” 

“Why?”

“I don’t know, I want one.”

“What brought it about? I thought we decided that after the fifteenth, we had missed our chance.”

“Who says?” Luffy demanded to know, “Who says you can’t wait twenty-three years before you have a baby?”

Law scoffed, “Well, it’s certainly not recommended to wait that long.”

Luffy huffed, affronted, “Why not? We just needed some extra time to settle into a routine. That’s not so bad.”

“That would be completely disrupted by a baby.” Law interrupted, stalking to the bed, “It would be insane how drastically that would change our lives.”

Luffy curled his hands in the bedding, “All I’m saying is that there’s no rule that says we can’t have one at this age.”

Law breathed out, his expression bewildered, throwing his hands in the air, composure rattled in a way that was very rare, “My fiftieth birthday is in three weeks! That is the most monumental thing we were supposed to be planning for a while.”

“It’s not like it wouldn’t take planning sometime.” Luffy shot back, “I mean, it’s gonna take a long time if we’re adopting. The longer we wait, the older we get.”

“I know how time works.” Law said heatedly, “I don't understand why you feel like it’s something we should do in the first place.”

“So you _don’t_ want kids?”

“We _have_ a kid. We raised her every summer, I put her through college. She still comes to visit on holidays and two weeks in the summer.”

“That’s different, she doesn’t belong to us. She doesn't live with us anymore and never did all the time in the first place.” 

“She’s your family.”

“But she wasn’t ours to begin with.”

Law drew up short, his expression almost condescending, “You and I have both had second families that adopted us. You’re on your third, technically! I wouldn’t expect this viewpoint from you.”

“I don’t mean it like that and you know it.” Luffy hissed bitterly, “Of course, I get how important it is to adopt above infancy and to foster. But like you said, we already have one of those, is it wrong for me to want to have a baby that’s ours and ours only? That I can have what hetero couples do, without all the hassle. Nobody questions them for having kids of their own, when there's thousands in the foster system. But it’s so wrong for me?” He trailed off then, feeling sick abruptly and drained emotionally. 

“It’s not-” Law began.

Luffy cut him off, holding his hands up in surrender, “Just forget about it.” 

Law looked like he was going to get stubborn and that was the last thing Luffy wanted at the moment, “We should talk about this.”

“I had too much to drink, don’t worry about it. Let’s go to bed, it’s late.” Without another word, he clicked the lamp off, throwing the room into muted darkness. 

Law huffed, standing by the bedside with his hands on his hips then subsequently gave up, climbing into bed and under the covers as well. They side by side yet the distance between them seemed abnormally large. Luffy stared up the ceiling with heated eyes, feeling stupid for even bringing up the topic in the first place and ruining their night. 

“I didn’t mean to come off so harsh and opposed to the idea; you did catch me off guard.” When Luffy didn’t respond, Law laid a hand on his upper thigh, stroking the scars from his skin graft over two decades ago, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Luffy muttered, “It’s a hard thing to talk about.”

They lapsed into silence for a bit, before Law admitted in a quiet voice, “I don’t want to start something we can’t finish. We’re not that young anymore, and yes, weren’t not that old either, but we’re both in our forties. If we do it, I want to be there for the big moments.”

“We’re not gonna die anytime soon. We’re both abnormally healthy, you make sure of that.”

“It’s not that alone.” Law shifted until he was sitting up, “We both have enemies out there, people who want to destroy us. Having something that precious, that vulnerable is asking for trouble.”

“I don’t mind trouble,” Luffy disclosed, sitting up as well, “I’ve been in it my whole life.” He had been born into it, actually there were people who wanted him dead before he was even born.

“So have I. We’ve both seen what people sacrifice to protect what they love,” His golden gaze met the vortex that was Luffy’s seriously, “We’ve both sacrificed for what we love. I’ve heard that it’s a million times stronger when it’s your child.” 

He took Law’s hand in his, ran a thumb over the knuckles inked with ‘death’, the gold and silver ring that had taken its rightful place over twenty years ago, imagined what it would be like if they raised a new life together, “I’m willing to risk it if you are.”

Law let out a drawn out breath, as if he was weighing every possible option in his mind and by prolonging his response with filler, it would allow him to come to the right decision, “Okay.”

“For real?” Luffy asked dumbfounded, the first words that could come to his head.

Law snorted, quoting back, “‘As opposed to what? For fake?’” 

—

“I’m going insane,” Law declared, “I can feel myself actually going insane. I haven’t slept through a night in seventeen months, which isn’t that significant since I’ve been an insomniac since I was ten but it should be worth saying. I am over fifty, damn it,” Law continued, pacing the floor in front of the couch where Luffy was sitting, trying to watch tv, “I’m supposed to be slowing down, instead it feels like I’m rapidly hurtling through time, I don’t know where the weeks go anymore.” He tossed a hand into the air dramatically, “Friday night dates, lazy Sunday mornings, never heard of it.” 

Luffy rolled his eyes with a grin, “Now you’re really exaggerating.”

“This is all your fault.” Law growled, yet leaned down all the same to kiss him, low and sweet. Their one and half year old son giggled, since Law bending down meant he went on quite the descent from his position tucked against his father’s hip. 

Luffy practically swooned, always overcome these days with emotion over having his husband, their son, and their two month old daughter- who was sleeping in the cradle of his arms- so close, surrounded by their pets, nestled in the house that they had bought with three bedrooms for a reason all those years ago, living a beautiful life he could have never imagined having, that despite the journey that was painful sometimes, he was here and indescribably happy. 

Law’s lips drew away from his to murmur blissfully, apparently feeling the exact same way, “And I can’t thank you enough.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this a vague interpretation of the concept of enemies to lovers? Yes. Do I care? No, I don't see them ever really being enemies, especially not in this AU and I wanted to explore this topic and it didn't fit in any other prompt for the rest of the month. Can we guess who the girl is that's Luffy's family which they help raise and support financially? It's non-canon, of course, but someone whose shown a deep care for Luffy in the series.  
> By the way, Happy Asexual Awareness Week. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	26. Day 26: Art Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost ten years after their marriage, they still insisted on going on designated date nights at least twice a month, at most once a week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place a few months before Law and Luffy's tenth wedding anniversary.
> 
> Content Warnings: None 
> 
> (Something sweet for you, before I ramp it up again tomorrow.)

“Sometimes I wonder why I even married you in the first place.” Law scathed, “Are you crazy?”

“Yeah,” Luffy admitted, sticking his tongue out teasingly, “But I said no take backs so you’re stuck with me.”

“In what world do you think that Godzilla would be beaten by King Kong?” Law asked, dipping his paintbrush into the black again so he could finish his meticulous applied base coverage of his canvas.

“He’s so slow!” Luffy groaned, smearing more black on his canvas. 

“Because he’s gigantic.” Law pointed out as he set his paintbrush on the palette. 

“Yeah and cause he’s so slow that means that King Kong could just totally like beat him up and avoid his attacks.” 

“Maybe Kong is faster, but there’s no way that just his fists could get through Godzilla’s thick skin.” 

“He got totally wrecked by Ghidorah in the last movie.”

“He came back in the final fight, and you wouldn’t be beaten by a three-headed dragon who has electricity powers?” Law questioned incredulously. 

Luffy rolled his eyes as if Law was dumb for even asking such a thing, “No, because in that world, I’m rubber so electricity doesn’t work on me.” 

Law almost hurt his throat with how hard he snorted, “Rubber? Are you serious? You could have any power and you want to be rubber. Why? So you can be like one of those bouncy balls?”

“No,” Luffy put his paintbrush down so he could take a sip of his cream soda, “I could stretch my arms around Ghidorah’s neck and choke him out.”

Law laid his hand on his lap, clothes covered by a smock, waiting patiently for the next set of instructions, “He has two other heads.” 

“I’ll get all three at once. I could stretch that far.” Luffy argued, swiveling idly on his stool by his place to the right of Law. 

Law grabbed his beer, perched carefully away from the edge of the table and all the paint supplies- most notably far away from the cup containing water to clean off their paintbrushes, “This is by far one of the dumbest conversations we’ve ever had.”

On Law’s left side, was a mother with her teenage daughter, who smiled quietly, apparently agreeing with that statement. 

Luffy didn’t seem to want to give up, “What would your power be then?”

Law scoffed, “Something cooler than rubber that’s for sure.”

“Rude.” 

Honestly, Law didn’t know how their flow of conversation even turned into an argument about giant monsters since they were supposed to be entertaining themselves as they painted the first layer of their painting they were being guided through. 

Almost ten years after their marriage, they still insisted on going on designated date nights at least twice a month, at most once a week.

Tonight, they were at a facility that offered step-by-step instructions on a different painting each night, who provided all of the needed equipment and even allowed you to change the designated colors if you wanted. They were set up around long tables, seated side by side on stools with their individual easels on the tabletop in front of them. 

There were about thirty people in all, with three workers making sure everything went smoothly. The attendees ranged from friends out for a fun night, to couples like them and a few singles just out to paint. 

It was a bring your own beer establishment, but since Luffy wasn’t a huge fan of drinking beer, Law had brought two for himself and two cream sodas for Luffy. They also had a twelve pack of macarons from a local patisserie that was down the street to snack on, having already eaten dinner before they arrived. 

The painting tonight was titled ‘Cosmic Reflections’ which was an image of a lone tree on the bank of a lake whose reflection was seen in the water as well as the shine of the rising sun that was illuminating the middle of the painting, overtaking the night sky full of stars. The lesson was a two hour slot to give them ample time to paint without feeling rushed. So far all they had done was paint the black background, only 20 minutes into it. 

“Okay, everyone.” Marianne who was in charge of instruction for the lesson announced, from the front of the room on the small stage, allowing everyone to see the demonstration, “So while we wait for our base coats to dry, we’re going to play a game.” 

Rose, one of the two assistants, clapped her hand in excitement, “So we’ve got a coin that we are going to flip but before we do everyone is going to choose what side it’ll land on: heads or tails. If it lands on the opposite side of what you choose then you’re out. We’ll keep on eliminating and whoever wins overall gets to choose from one of three paintings that our team members have done.”

Aka, the other assistant smiled, “We’re going to walk around the rows and get everyone’s votes.” 

As they started to make their rounds, Law turned to Luffy seriously, “We have to bet against each other.”

Luffy blinked wide eyes at him, “Why?” 

“Because statistically it has a fifty percent cause of being heads or tails, so if one of us covers each option, we can’t both lose.”

Luffy pondered the idea, popping one of the macaroons in his mouth, “Okay, but I get to choose first.”

“Fine.”

Luffy went for heads so as agreed Law chose tails. The coin was flipped and ended up on heads so Law was promptly eliminated. There were a few others in the room who had chosen tails as well and they sat back down on their stools with good-natured quips from their companions. 

Law took a sip from his beer, remarking, “Looks like you have to win for both of us, sweetie.” 

Luffy grinned, “No problem.”

Law watched as his husband confidently voted for tails. Nobody else on their side of the row did, which Law thought was interesting. 

The coin was flipped and ended up on tails which Luffy cheered about. After a moment though, the three workers seemed perplexed, conferring amongst each other.

Law scanned the room, looking for anyone else that seemed to be celebrating an advance to the next round yet didn’t see anyone, “Did no one else bet on tails?” 

Marianne rubbed her head with a shrug, “Everyone else voted for heads, so I guess, he wins? Good game everyone. You two can pick your painting before you leave.” 

“We’ve never had anyone win that fast, actually.” Rose commented with a nervous giggle. 

Luffy laughed loudly, oblivious to how he had partially ruined the game by beating everyone remaining in the second round, “Told ya I’d win!”

Law hid his face behind his easel, almost embarrassed, “When I said win for us, I meant at least give them a chance.”

“You didn’t say that.” Luffy chimed, pecking the top of his head with a chaste kiss.

After their background was fully dry, they bracketed the canvas with a dark blue and purple mix that would represent the sky and the lake. They then added mountains in the left corner and made a shoreline stretching around the midpoint of the canvas, extending it to the whole right side as the lake’s bank. While that dried, they painted the sunrise in shades of pink, purples, yellow and white. With the shore dried, they painted the lone tree in a charcoal gray, Law used the smallest brush possible to add little leaves in white, decorating the branches. 

They next moved onto making a mirror image of the tree, a muted gray against the blue water. Law used a white color pencil to sketch out of the tree’s reflection trying to match the individual branches to what he had already painted. Luffy was much bolder, using broad strokes to construct another tree trunk. 

When they had moved on to doing the reflection of the sunrise, Luffy deviated from course, making haphazard swipes of pink all along the edge of the water as opposed to just underneath where the sunrise was. “You’re not even following the directions.”

Luffy switched to yellow, “I’m gonna make something different.”

“Alright, have fun.” Law dipped his brush into the white to smear the edges of the reflection, trying to fade the colors into the darkness. 

The last step was to take an unused toothbrush and dip it in white paint, to flick onto the canvas to resemble the infrequent pattern of stars. He tried to be neat with his, scraping the toothbrush’s bristles lightly against the canvas in order to make small streaks like shooting stars in the distance. Law was very careful to stay aware from Luffy during this part, not trusting his husband to not make a huge mess with the technique. 

Sure enough, there were flecks of white paint on Luffy’s face and both of their fingertips were coated from having to hold the toothbrush’s edge to aim. They washed up in the sink at the back of the room, scrubbing paint from out under their fingernails. 

When they returned back to their stations, Law looked at Luffy’s canvas with a slight chuckle, “What did you end up doing? It doesn’t look anything like the painting is supposed to.”

Luffy seemed proud of his painting, which instead of having a reflection of the sunrise was just a bunch of streaks in the water of predominantly pink with purple streaks that was tipped with a yellow crown. The overall effect looked kind of like flames but upside down, “I took ‘artistic liberties’. I’m calling it ‘pink lemonade lake on fire’.”

“That’s quite a name.” Law remarked, squinting at the painting, “It fits though.” 

“Yours’s is nice!” Luffy exclaimed, “I like how you did shooting stars instead of just dots.”

“Thank you.” Law untied his smock to lay it on the stool, brushing out the folds of his skirt. Luffy pulled his smock off too, tugging his jean jacket back on from where it had hung on a hook on the wall behind them. They cleaned up their trash, depositing of the glass bottles into a designated bin, the food trash into another. Once finished, they went to the front of the room to choose their won painting from the three laid out. They chose a painting of a red bridge over a winding river, edged on both sides of the banks with lush trees with sprigs of tiny, exceptionally detailed flowers. 

After they thanked and tipped the three workers, they walked out to the car with their canvases, laying them carefully in the truck. 

Law started the car with a grin, “I can’t believe you beat out a whole room in a game of chance in the second round.” 

Luffy grinned back, fiddling with the radio’s controls, “I told you I was lucky.”

“I always feel lucky when I’m with you.” Law stated. 

“Aw, babe.” Luffy cooed, leaning across the front console so they could kiss, "And I'm lucky to have married you." 

Law could get lost in the fathoms of his husband's eyes, "I guess, we're both pretty lucky. Honestly, we should hit up a casino."

"Yes!" Luffy cheered emphatically. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We stan one Miss Marianne Goldenweek. So this is called Painting with a Twist, it's a company in the US that does these events for charities. I've been on several dates there, - Pre Covid- and one time they played the coin flip game, I lost in the first round, turned to my partner and said 'you have to win for both of us, babe' and in the next round they won, beating everyone else and winning us a free painting.  
> Shout out to @maye for once again guessing correctly over last chapter's mystery character, it was Tama! In this AU, she's Luffy's niece and he and Law would take care of her over the summer's when school was out. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	27. Day 27: Breakup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before they got married, they agreed for each of them to keep one secret from the other. This is the story of Law's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back here to say that Doflamingo is a manipulative crazy bastard. This chapter is brutal so please read responsibly. 
> 
> Takes place after Law and Luffy get engaged 
> 
> Content Warnings: Graphic depictions of torture, emotional manipulation

When Law had gotten the message that Doflamingo wanted to see him, he wasn’t too alarmed. Their communication over the phone was always halted due to Doflamingo’s deep- and rightfully so - distrust of electronics and how easily things could be used as evidence against them. You didn’t run a successful drug and weapon trafficking organization if you didn’t take extra precautions. He became a little concerned when he was sent an address to meet up on the grounds of one of their factories, because it was rare that he wouldn’t be sent to the family house first, helping to solidify that Law was visiting the family he lived an hour and half away from and not being sent on a probably nefarious mission. 

Still, he arrived at the location a good ten minutes before the scheduled time, with a gun stashed in the glove box, a knife tucked into a sheath in his boot and a pair of surgical gloves in his back pocket. The building was a warehouse for storing products and was surprisingly empty. 

Law felt a tendril of anxiety start to build when he noticed that Vergo was standing guard just inside. Eight times out of ten, it was Vergo who carried out Doflamingo’s dirty work, which meant his presence carried hefty meaning. On principle, Law had never liked Vergo, the man was a sadistic creep who was almost entirely emotionless in a very off-putting way. That and he had brutally beaten Law once when he was thirteen and things like that tended to stick to a person’s psyche. 

Doflamingo was sitting in a desk chair, close to the center of the room, forcing Law to move closer, in a position that put Vergo between him and the door. Despite the threatening undercurrent, Law continued to act in good faith, asking nonchalantly, “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes.” Doflamingo answered, fingers dancing in the air before he inquired in a soft tone that was all the more dangerous, “Who said you could get engaged?”

Law felt his stomach drop but his voice was steady, “I wasn’t aware I needed permission. It’s not usually the protocol for gay couples to ask. I apologize. We’ve been dating for two years, I assumed that it was the logical, expected next step.” 

Doflamingo hummed, “So you’ve planned this without telling me?”

This was a dangerous game, Law would have to choose every word with precaution, “I certainly meant to tell you. I hadn’t expected to propose so soon but the situation called for it. I was under the impression that our agreement still stood, and my relationship wouldn’t have limits put on it.”

“We agreed that you could date him, as long as it didn’t interfere with your work, but married? That’s a different story.” Doflamingo lounged back in his chair, “You see, Law, marriage changes people, something between the whole ceremony and all the paperwork, it changes them. I mean, look at Pink, you think he always looked that crazy? Fuck, no.” 

“I can assure you,” Law promised with a slight smile, “I won’t dress up like an infant and embarrass you.”

“I don’t know if I can endorse such a preposterous thing as a marriage.”

Fear made his heart start to beat faster within his tattooed chest, “I can’t just take back the ring.”

“Sure you can. People break off engagements all the time.” 

“I don’t want to break it off.” Law declared, aware that the desperation would be preyed upon yet couldn’t stop himself, “I love him.”

There was a sigh of great disappointment, “And that’s the problem. I don’t like sharing what belongs to me. You know that. It was fine at first: young men like yourself should be allowed to have fun, experiment and all. It was always so entertaining to hear about your triumphant exploits. You reminded me of myself at your age, very eager in your personal affairs.” The thought of being like Doffy made the hairs on the back of Law’s neck stand up. “Then that boy came along, and I thought, ‘oh, he found himself a toy that would last more than a few poundings, how nice.” Law had to grind his teeth to not lash out in rage. Neither Luffy, nor any of his partners before, no matter how brief, had ever been a ‘toy’ in his mind. “I believed naively that it would allow you to ground yourself, only to find out how serious it was becoming, imagine my surprise. Now, the news of an engagement.” 

“I have always been loyal to this family. I’ve done everything you asked and more.” Law enunciated, “Without question, without hesitation. That hasn’t changed since we’ve been together, it won’t change now, I swear.”

“I’m not sure, it’s such a drastic move.”

Law knew suddenly, where this was going. There were always deals. You never got anything in this family, everything had to be earned or exchanged for. To save Law’s life from Amber Lead he had to forfeit his freedom, offering his fealty to the family. To go to medical school, he had to promise that whatever skills he learned would be used to benefit the family. To be able to move away, he had to accept more responsibility and intensity with his torturing schedule. Now, to marry the man he loved, there was another deal to be made. 

He said the words that Doflamingo always loved to hear, “What can I do to prove it to you?”

A smirk drew wide across the face that stared back at him, one that Law could guess was gleaming in the eyes hidden by the ever-present sunglasses. Law was trapped now, had walked himself right into the spider’s web, offering himself up without struggle. “You know how much I treasure your talents- of all your siblings you have always been the one with the most potential- your work is so precise and the skill you have is unparalleled.” 

Doflamingo leaned forward gleefully, “I think, that if you plan on making this selfish decision, hindering your use for the good of the family, there needs to be equal retribution. Honestly, where am I supposed to find another licensed surgeon who I can shamelessly call upon to torture and kill those I please? It’s almost like you’ve tied one of my hands behind my back.” His voice dropped a whole octave, dripping with malice, “It’s only fair that the same be down to you.”

The realization made Law stop breathing for a moment, Doflamingo pounced on his stunned silence, “Either you break off the engagement or I’ll have one of your arms cut off. It’s a rather simple choice.”

“Yes, it is.” The wedding ring was supposed to go on his left ring finger so he offered his right arm up without another word.

There were few things in Law’s life as satisfying as watching the thunderous expression that appeared on Doflamingo’s face when he understood that Law would rather lose an arm than give up Luffy, especially since now Doffy was bound to the trade off as he was the one who proposed the deals. “I thought I taught you better.”

Law dared a teasing grin, “You might have taught me, but I’ve always been stubborn.” 

After that, he retreated inward, preparing himself mentally for what was about to happen. He had endured beatings before, he had been shot twice and had removed the bullets himself, he had been on death’s door for years with a poisoning that had been accumulating in his birth family’s genes for generations. This was nothing different. 

He resolutely did not flinch at the snap that summoned Vergo to approach, he does observe the preparations in his peripheral vision, instead focusing on keeping himself relaxed with even breathing, tensing will only make it worse. 

He thinks of Luffy, he thinks of the happiness they have shared, the future that they will have because of this sacrifice, how his fiancé is waiting for him to return to their new house tonight. He thinks of the curve of a blinding smile, the crescent scar that was a result of childish bravery, the dark lashes that frame round eyes that are fathomless, a mix of dark stormy gray, or is it blue, and chocolate brown that seem like whirlpools always drawing Law into the craziness, the excitement, the infinite love-

All at once it happens.

Law lets out a soft gasp, the feeling of something slicing through skin, flesh, veins, muscles, tendons, bone in a quick efficient stroke, followed by the lack of feeling was incredibly disorienting. Then, blinding white, comes the pain. 

He drops to his knees, unable to stand any longer as blood comes gushing out of the new stump of his arm at an alarming rate. His left hand darts up, clamping down on instinct that only brings a new wave of mind-numbing pain so intense he almost blacked out on the spot. The severed nerve endings are on fire, and through the grasp of his left hand he can feel the blood pumping out, being forced from his rapidly beating heart. 

He bites his lip until it bleeds but refuses to give any other reaction. He will not scream, or cry, or even groan in pain, he will not give them the satisfaction of his misery. He made his choice and he will take it as nobly as one can. 

Doflamingo cupped a hand under his chin, forcing his head up so he could look at the approximation of the other man’s eyes still hidden by his sunglasses. Long fingers stroked his cheek tenderly, as a voice purred, “I don’t like to see you suffer, but you have to understand the position you put me in.”

Law wants to scream, to shout,  _ nobody made you do this, you fucking psychopath _ , but it would change nothing, so he stares Doffy down, refuses to break eye contact even as the flow is still continuing sluggishly and there are spots dancing across his vision. 

After a minute longer, Doflamingo released his face, turning on his heel swiftly, pink feathered coat swishing round his tall form. Vergo followed, having never uttered a word through the whole exchange. 

Law picked his severed arm up, drawing himself to his feet inch by inch. In a clipped tone, he muttered, “You said it had to be cut off, you never said it had to stay off.”

Doflamingo cackled as he stalked away, “I always knew you were a smart boy.”

He started to stagger away, because that’s as fast as he can move with his vision so darkened.

“And Law,” Doffy calls over his shoulder, “Let’s not tell anyone about this, shall we?”

“Of course.” Law agrees, stepping out into the sunlight. 

His car was across the complex, though back alleys and the distance seemed so vast compared to his walk to the warehouse. He focused on taking one step after the other, teeth gritted together so hard in an effort not to scream his jaw hurt.

To distract himself, he started to compose a mental list. He needed a blood transfusion, antibiotics, another surgeon to put his arm back on. He needed to get to a hospital fast, but actually he might need to go to a gas station and put his arm on ice so it would be preserved by the time he got to a manned facility. He had driven one-handed before, not like this, but it couldn’t be too hard.

There was a scream of a young woman suddenly, followed by a shout which made Law jump in surprise. A wave of vertigo hit him hard, and his knees buckled. With one hand holding the severed other, there was nothing to catch him as slumped forward, cracking his head on the concrete and succumbing to the darkness upon impact. 

—

His awareness came back slowly, with the bright fluorescent overhead hurting his eyes. His head was throbbing and his forehead was itchy, probably from stitches resulting from his abrupt collapse. He doesn’t look to his right side, not wanting to confront the fact that his arm might be gone for good, especially when his fiancé was curled up in the provided chair to his left side, eyes red rimmed, body as compact as possible to create grounding pressure against his chest scar. Ever since his own six weeks in the hospital, Luffy had despised them, opting to go to Law or Chopper for any medical treatment. 

Law resented himself for forcing Luffy to be here though he makes sure his tone is light as he can manage with a hoarse throat as he mumbles in greeting, “Hey.” 

Luffy lets out a gasping sob, “Hi, sweetie, are you okay? You scared me.”

“M’sorry.” Law apologized faintly, “Is my arm back on? I can’t feel it.”

Luffy sniffed, reaching out to brush some of Law’s hair from his eyes, “Yeah, it’s back on, the two people who found you put it back. You can’t feel it cause they hooked you up to the real good stuff.”

Law hummed in agreement, whole body feeling pretty fuzzy, sensations muted like he was underwater, “Replantation is difficult, especially on a whole limb, looks like some of your infamous luck rubbed off on me.”

“Don’t.” Luffy hissed, scrubbing at his face with a sleeve, “Don’t joke right now.”

Law regarded his fiancé, taking in the tired slump of his spine, the tension in his shoulders, before commanding, “Come here.”

Luffy looked hesitant, apparently scared enough for Law’s sake to obey the rules for once, “You always told me that I shouldn’t climb into other people’s hospital beds.”

Law beckoned with the index finger on his left hand, “Who’s the medical professional? Come on, we’ll be careful.”

Luffy crawled into the bed with him, avoiding all the wires and equipment, in a way that reminded Law of the particular way that Bepo arranged himself at the foot of their bed at home. He smiled wanly as Luffy’s head came to rest on his left shoulder, overcome with affection to this wonderful man. He twisted his head for a better view and there it was, the ring that Law had picked out shining on Luffy’s finger, where it belonged, where it would stay. “I’m glad to see you.”

Luffy’s whole face was clouded with unasked questions, he was practically burning with them. Law recognizes that he will have to lie, either to make up a fake story or claim that he cannot physically remember due to the intense stress his body went under. He recognizes that he will have to lie because he knows what will happen if he tells the truth.

Luffy will get angry and probably cry again as he shouts because he won’t understand how Law could ever do such a thing, even though Law knows just how far Luffy pushed his own body to try and save his big brother, and Law loves him that much, if not more. That Law thinks it was all worth it, but his fiancé doesn’t understand that Law would give anything up for him, he’s a ride or die kind of guy and he is planning on marrying Luffy  _ until death do us part _ . 

Luffy hasn’t yet fully realized that the fierce love that he gives off to others can be returned in full. Law will spend every day of the rest of his life to make him understand. 

—

Later, when the fate of the use of Law’s arm has been resolved and he will make a full recovery eventually, Doflamingo will insist that he pay for their wedding as a celebratory gift, just to force Law to fake a smile and thank him. Law will rack up the most expensive wedding bill in retaliation: have his wedding on a damn yacht, invite over three hundred people, have four different types of entertainment, kiss his new husband as often as possible that night to prove a point. 

(Even later in the future, so many years later, far too late, Law will be on the ground, choking on his own blood and insurmountable grief with Doflamingo standing over him, ready to finally kill and get rid of the nuisance he has become, the disappointment, the traitor. But Law’s husband will stop him, he will stare down the titan with fists curled in anger. Luffy will fight Doflamingo, he will win and Law will be  _ free _ . He will sob openly while his arm throbs in phantom pain and he will know in every fiber of his being that he put his love, hope and faith in the right person.) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now you know why Law never wants to tell Luffy how he lost his arm. He'd probably go kill Doflamingo on sight, not to mention the guilt he would feel for Law having to go through that just so they could get married. Also Law would never tell Cora either because that would led to a fight between the brothers that Cora wouldn't win.   
> Shout out to Mansherry and Leo for saving Law's arm. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	28. Day 28: Pirates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We were supposed to continue working together for a common goal, to first destroy the factory and take Caesar hostage so we could take down Doflamingo in Dressrosa then move on to Kaido. I’ve explained the plan multiple times.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After Dressrosa, during the week travel to Zou. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Suicidal thoughts/tendencies, mental breakdown, mentions of past violence

Law feels like he’s in shock, correction- he’s about 90% sure he’s in shock. He is doing things, talking to people, interacting with the world that has not stopped even though it feels like it did a few days ago and has yet to restart for Law. Everyone else is going forward, moving towards other things, a new adventure, they’re celebrating the victory yet Law, who has the most to celebrate since he had planned for this day for thirteen years, feels numb.

He is physically getting farther away from Dressrosa, every minute the wind and waves are taking him farther away from the place he was supposed to die, but it feels like he’s still there, his head is stuck years into the past. It’s been over five days and he is unable to comprehend the thought. He is free, there is no further need for revenge, Doflamingo is in custody of the Marines, the family has been disbanded or arrested, Dressrosa is back under the control of the rightful royal family. Law is alive. 

This was not his intention. He had discussed this with Sengoku, the older man telling him to live his life the way Rosinante had wished him to. Problem was, Law had no fucking idea how to do that. 

He had been awaiting his revenge for over a decade and had reconciled with the fact that in his struggle to destroy Doflamingo it was most likely that he would die during the process. He had parted ways with his crew with the belief that it would be the final parting, he had gone to Punk Hazard to enact his plan. Once he had seen Luffy, he had thought that an alliance would be beneficial. Having them at his disposal was supposed to increase his chances for success, it was not supposed to be made sure that his plan would be a success. 

With the takedown complete and Law continuing to breathe, he was at a loss.

The days are easier to stumble through, Bartolomeo and his crew were morons- utter fools who had taken to the sea without any sort of preparation, he cannot even conceive the thought of not planning ahead except he’s now found himself wildly unprepared for the next step in his life, it’s ironic, it’s humiliating and devastating- which meant there was plenty of work for Law to busy himself with. 

The nights are harder to manage, what little sleep he gets is plagued with nightmares of Doffy or memories of Cora. Tonight he has given up on the notion of rest and finds himself wandering aimlessly around the halls of the Going Luffy-senpai, that’s name and design makes him want to puke. He doesn’t understand how anyone could be so blinded with ‘admiration’ but then he remembers that his pirate crew’s name, flag and half the tattoos on his body are in memorial of a dead man. Feeling like a fucking hypocrite in more ways than one, Law trudges through the darkness, one of the only souls still awake on the ship. 

Their Observation Haki tips them off at the same time so he finds himself unsurprised to be coming face to face with Luffy when he rounds the corner into the kitchen. Luffy blinks at him quietly then smiles around a mouthful of apple, his grin illuminating the night like a sudden ray of sunshine. 

Law, unamused by the thoroughly blinding display, takes a seat across from Luffy at the table he is at. He is not hungry, the urge to eat being curbed by his lack of sleep and the nauseous feeling that has been plaguing him since before Dressrosa. He taps his fingers on the table top, watching the other captain with a critical eye as Luffy continues to devour his midnight snack. 

Barto’s crew is a profound mess, so, of course, in the absence of the Straw Hats’ doctor, he had stepped in to attend to their injuries, or at least try- there wasn’t much he could do for a cyborg like Franky. He hadn’t been able to deal with Luffy’s preliminary work, since his arm needed to be fixed and he was too drained to access his powers but once he had regained enough strength he had checked on Luffy, making adjustments here and there to alleviate any lingering pain. Luffy wasn’t fully recovered yet but it was just a matter of time before he would be back to full capacity. The same could be said for Law, though he wasn’t looking forward to it as eagerly. 

“You’re gonna see your crew soon, are ya excited?”

Law nods feebly, because he should be excited, there is a part of him that cannot believe that he gets to see them again, that he can return triumphant except another part shrinks away at the thought of what the reunion means. 

“You don’t seem excited.” Luffy comments obtusely while preoccupied with the task of peeling an orange. 

Law takes it from him with a huff, digging his thumbnail into the peel viciously to rip it open, the sweet smell of citrus perfuming the air, “I’m just tired.”

“Then you should go to sleep.”

“If only it was that simple.”

Luffy reaches forward, stills Law’s hands from his work with the fruit so they can lock eyes, “You weren't planning on coming back to them.”

“No, I hadn’t.” Law admits, looking at the orange in his hands, the way that Luffy’s hand is on top of his. 

There is an edge of disbelief in Luffy’s dark eyes, like he cannot fathom the idea of abandoning his crew the way Law had been, “Why?”

Law answers the question with another one, “What are you going to do after you become king? Have you thought about that?” It is a matter of when, not if, Law has only been around Luffy for a little while but he knows that the title will belong to Luffy. 

Luffy seems to know this conclusion to and is unconcerned by it, shrugging, “No. But why should I? When it happens, it happens and I’ll deal with it then. It’s fun to go on the journey anyway, I don’t want to rush it.”

“This was my coronation.” Law explained in a hushed voice, “This was supposed to be my final journey. I hadn’t planned for after this point, I was supposed to die so I wouldn’t have to deal with an after.”

Luffy gets up from his chair, climbs over the tabletop so he can be closer to Law as he questioned, “Why don’t you want your after?”

“Because the goal was to make Doflamingo pay, everything else is redundant!” Law hissed, golden eyes flashing bitterly. 

“So it’s all supposed to be over just cause it happened? You got your dream and that’s it? You don’t want to celebrate that?”

“It’s not about celebrating! It’s about the fact that it’s over with, and all I have done for thirteen years is worked towards my revenge and now it’s over!” Law couldn’t help how his voice had risen to a yell, didn’t care if he woke anyone up, “It’s over, and it fucking sucked. I’m supposed to feel better, this was supposed to be closure or whatever and I could move on, but I didn’t want to move on, I don’t how to move on, because I have built my life for this sole purpose so I feel like shit and I can’t believe that I’m even alive and I’m lost.” He broke off with a shuddering gasp, “What am I supposed to do now?”

“You can do me!” Luffy declared, jumping to his feet. 

Law looked at his eager face, shook his head slightly, “You might want to rephrase that sentence.” 

“Nah,” Luffy murmured, leaning forward, “I knew what I meant.” 

Their lips met, Law’s chapped and raw from how he’s been fussing at them with his teeth, Luffy’s soft and sweet-tasting from the fruit he consumed. The first touch is barely a brush, initiated by Luffy and very easy to disengage from, it’s clear the other captain had no intention of doing anything more without Law’s approval. Law is moved by the chivalrous nature and the next time their lips meet, it is of his choosing.

This kiss is more passionate, brought about by the tilt of their heads so they can align properly and deepen their contact. One of Luffy’s hands comes to rest on his shoulder for stability as he leans further in. Eventually they pull apart so they can breath but Luffy remains close enough that Law can see now that there are the faintest freckles splattered across Luffy’s nose, a by-product of all the days spent sailing under the sun. This knowledge seems so special and intimate to Law that he starts to laugh a bit in disbelief. 

Only mere days ago, he had believed that he was going willingly to his slaughter in the hopes that when he saw Cora in the afterlife he would be able to say that he got rid of the monster that tormented them both, and now there was this beautiful man with a smile that was incredibly familiar and comforting, seemingly ready to love him and it’s too much.

His laughter rises in pitch and intensity, until it's absolutely hysterical and he is sitting in the kitchen of a ship that’s figurehead is a carving of the man he is sitting beside, the man he has just kissed, there is a massive crater in his soul that is trying to be filled with new life, his arm hurts and his whole body aches and he’s so tired. He laughs helplessly until it dissolves to sobs, buries his face in his hands as he weeps quietly. 

He continues to cry while there is a soft rustling before something is put on top of his head. He looks up in shock, finds that an old straw hat is nestled amongst his thick hair then Luffy is there, wrapping him up in strong arms to hold him close til his tears dry up. 

They sleep together that night but they don’t have sex. 

Law wakes up with Luffy tucked against his chest. Sunlight is streaming in through the port window, he can hear the sounds of the others on board moving around, and feel the way the ship is rocking as it makes its way to Zou, to Law’s waiting crew and the rest of Luffy’s. Luffy is warm and surprisingly soft, his rubber skin an odd supple texture that Law knows he is going to get addicted to touching. 

Luffy smiles at him lazily, having already woken up before Law and watching him. Now that he knows Law is awake, Luffy sits up, extracting himself carefully from the bed, “I’m gonna get breakfast. You sleep some more, I’ll bring you something back.” 

Law wants to protest, to insist that Luffy shouldn't leave or that he should at least come with but before he can Luffy darts forward to run a hand through his hair comfortingly, pushing him back down to lay his head on the pillow, “Don't worry, I won’t be gone long. I just wanna have breakfast with my crew.”

Lured by the gentle caress, the lingering warmth in the bedding, the soft sunlight, Law slips back into a doze, more at ease than he ever remembers feeling. 

He is roused some time later when Luffy returns, holding a steaming mug and a tray of assorted breakfast items, “I didn’t forget that you don’t like bread but you do like coffee, even though I think bread is like the best and coffee is totally gross.”

“It’s an acquired taste.” Law comments, reaching for the mug gratefully. It’s not as good as what he could get on his own sub or Luffy’s ship but it will do. He eats some eggs with an unusual vigor, all the skipped meals finally catching up. Luffy only steals a few bites of what Law does not show interest in, a show of restraint that Law understands is rare in the younger captain. He shoves the tray over to Luffy when he has had his fill, leaning against the headboard of the bed.

In between sips of coffee, curiosity gets the better of Law, leading him to ask, “Did you mean what you said last night, about ‘me doing you’? You know that connotation normally means sex?”

“We can if you want.” Luffy drawled, lounging sideways on the bed with his chin propped on his palm. His eyes were half-lidded, watching Law with an emotion that wasn’t quite lust- that word doesn’t seem to fit- but certainly interest. It was intriguing for Law to realize that the younger man who he thought had been naïve over these matters was actually propositioning Law as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “It wasn't just that though, if you want someone to aim to take down, it can be me, I don’t mind.” 

That makes something inside Law twist unpleasantly, he sets his mug down, “Do you wish to dissolve our alliance?”

“No!” Luffy cried out, sitting up hurriedly. 

“Then why would I want to beat you?” Law inquires, “We were supposed to continue working together for a common goal, to first destroy the factory and take Caesar hostage so we could take down Doflamingo in Dressrosa then move on to Kaido. I’ve explained the plan multiple times.” 

“You said that all you had done for years was to try to beat Doffy, and now that he was taken down, you didn’t know what to do since he was your goal.” Luffy takes his hand to make a proposal, “I can be your next goal.”

“My goal?”

“Yeah!” 

“You know a goal can be seen as the same as a dream?” Law explains with a small grin, “It was my dream to live to see Doflamingo get what he deserved for killing the man I loved. Now, you want to be my new one? In what capacity?”

“Whatever you want.” Luffy responds as if there is nothing so simple, moving to kiss Law with a smile that is so gentle and loving it makes Law want to sear it into his memories forever, wants nothing more than to see it again and again, “However you’ll have me, I’ll be your dream. One that you never have to give up. One that you can have and love forever.” 

Law nuzzles his face against Luffy’s cheek, makes it so that the only thing in his vision is those fathomless eyes, “That does sound like a dream.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it was pretty funny that this prompt list had 'pirate' listed for today since One Piece is an anime about pirates but I'm writing it in the modern world where there are no pirates, it was the perfect excuse to write something in the canon-verse. Hoped you enjoyed my take on how they would get together in the series. 
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	29. Day 29: Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Isn’t there supposed to be just one person in your life that’s the big one?”  
> “That is the concept of soulmates.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter is divided into seven sections, each one has it's own number either negative or positive. The zero marker is the year that Law and Luffy get married, so if it's above 0 it's after, below is before, you get the idea. 
> 
> Content Warnings: Mentioned death

-2

He is supposed to be working on his math homework. He knows Robin will give him that disappointed look if he doesn’t at least make an attempt to answer all of the problems before dinner except he can’t force himself to focus.

He leaves the dining room table, following the sound of a lively polonaise. Brook is in the solarium, playing on the grand piano, his long thin fingers moving as fluidly as if they are the musical notes coming off the sheet music themselves. 

Brook stops playing when he sees Luffy, “Is it too loud?”

“No.” Luffy answered, coming to join Brook on the bench. Luffy has always loved instruments yet has never been able to coax music out of them. He pushes some of the keys down experimentally and Brook starts to play a slower ballade, taking the sounds Luffy makes to spin them into something beautiful. “Have you been in love before?”

“Oh, yes, many times.”

“So you’ve loved multiple people?”

“Of course,” Brook responds simply, “I love multiple people right now, you’re one of them.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Luffy clarifies, “I mean, romantically.” 

Brook pauses his playing, “Ah, I see. Yes, then, I have. But that tends to happen when you’re as old as I am.”

Luffy’s unable to stop the questions that have been racing in his mind for a while, “So you’ve been ’in love’ with different people in your life. How does that work? I mean, are you allowed to be in love with multiple people?”

Brook laughs lightly, “Well, I wouldn’t know who to ask permission from anyway.” 

“I thought,” Luffy wrung his hands together, “That when you loved someone like that, it was supposed to be special.”

“Every time you fall in love is special because no two people can fall in love in the same way.”

“If it’s so special, how come you never just stayed with one of them?” He blurts out before he realizes that it is a horrible question to ask.

Brook doesn’t seem to take offense, patient to a fault, “Sometimes things don’t work out; whether you find that the match isn’t sustainable or circumstances drive you apart. It doesn’t mean that you can’t still love them or be in love with them, that doesn’t diminish.” 

Luffy pouts, more lost than before they started the conversation, “So how do you know who you’re supposed to marry?” 

Brook turns so they are facing each other properly, “You don’t have to marry anyone, Luffy-San. For some people, marriage is not what they wish or they don’t see it as necessary for a fulfilling relationship. Others prefer to marry several within their life and that is not wrong or unfulfilling either.”

“Isn’t there supposed to be just one person in your life that’s the big one?”

“That is the concept of soulmates.” 

“Do you believe in it?”

“I believe,” Brook begins in a soft voice, “That there are certain people who come into your life who seem to be made for it, but I do not believe it is exclusive to romance alone or one sole person. That would imply that it would be something fated to be, a relationship that comes without work or hardship. In my experience, and I have had quite a few, love like that simply does not exist.” 

Luffy doesn’t think he really understands everything Brook has said, but that’s nothing new to him. There’s a lot about the world that he doesn’t get yet. Things that he is eager to know and find out as he grows up. 

—

-1

Luffy hums disjointedly, feeling restless from being stuck in the same place for so long but also too exhausted from the mediations that he’s been taking to do anything about it. 

Jinbei looks at him quietly over the book he had been reading, doesn’t say anything but the gentle look is enough that Luffy swallows back any further sound. He does slap his hands on the scratchy comforter, a muffled broken rhythm so he doesn’t have to sit still. 

He wiggles his feet underneath the covers, a thought popping into his head. “He’s nice, huh?” Luffy remarks, “The doctor. Traffy.” 

“Dr.Trafalgar does certainly seem kinder than his appearance and he has proven himself clearly to be very skilled in his field.” Jinbei comments, still reading. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Luffy looks at the small provided nightstand, the stacks of coloring books and scented markers lined up neatly, gifted to him from Law as a way of entertainment, “I don’t know, I kinda like him. Is that crazy?”

Jinbei smiled fondly, “I hardly think so.” 

—

+0

Luffy just about choked on his boba, a tapioca pearl shooting to the back of his throat with how violently he inhaled. Robin reached over, patting his back gently but he shook her off, a mixture of disbelief, anger and betrayal rising within him as he glared at Nami, “What did you just say?”

Nami didn’t waver, “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Luffy almost upturned the whole patio table they were sitting at, knees crashing into the bottom as he resisted the urge to jump to his feet and start shouting, as is, his voice was loud, “We’re shopping for your bridesmaid dresses and you’re gonna tell me you don’t think I should get married?!”

“Not married, in general.” Nami explained, “But married now. I don’t think you’ve thought it through and you’ll regret it.”

“That is my decision to make,” Luffy growled, “Mine and Law’s, not yours. If you don’t want to celebrate with me, then don’t show up to the wedding.”

“I believe that this conversation needs to deescalate.” Robin interrupted, remarkably calm for the final member of a three person party where two of which were arguing. “Luffy, you know that Nami understands that she doesn't have any say over your choices but she is allowed to voice her concerns, respectfully.”

Nami looked like she was trying to compose herself yet was failing, her words coming out in a fury, “I think you’re rushing things. I think you got excited and now you’re planning a whole wedding for fun.”

“It’s supposed to be fun, it’s a party.”

“If you get married to him, that means you guys have to live together.”

“We’ve already been living together for over a year.” 

“You haven’t known each other a long time. Even shorter than the rest of us but you’re willing to be with him ‘forever’.”

“Why do we need more time? Won’t we have that time when we’re married?”

“But it’s different when you’re married.”

“It won’t be that different, it’s mostly joint taxes.” 

“This is serious, if you screw this up you have to go through the whole humiliating ordeal of getting a divorce and where will you end up? Back with us.”

“I’m not gonna get a divorce.” Luffy hissed, furious that he wasn’t even married yet and she was condemning it to failure. 

“That’s what you think.” She huffed.

“What do you know about marriage?” He talked over, “You’ve never been married. If anything I should be asking for Robin’s opinion not yours.”

Robin took a sip of her tea, “You already know that I believe that you have never made a decision that you aren’t prepared to commit to, which is a cornerstone of marriage.” 

“See!” Luffy jeered but Nami wasn’t deterred, “You’re too young! You’re younger than me, how could you possibly be ready to be married when I’m not?”

“No offense to you, but you don’t love someone like I love Law. Maybe you would think differently if you did.” He clutched his cup in his hands to have something to hold on to, “I know I’m young, but what does it matter what age I am when I’m marrying the man I want to be with for the rest of my life? I get that there’s no reason to rush, but there’s also no reason not to get married when we’ve already discussed it.” 

His voice cracked with how desperate he was to make her understand, “He was there when I was at my worst and he loved me despite it. He treats me better than anyone else, he makes me feel safe and ridiculously happy. How could I not want to marry him as soon as possible, to be able to say to the world, this is the person I love the most?”

Nami sniffed, the first big sister he ever had, “I don’t want you to get your heart broken.”

Luffy chuckled ruefully, “I already have. Law put it back together.”

She nodded quietly, giving over her consent which he never needed but wanted. All he ever wanted was for his family to see and know and love the man he loved too. 

Luffy scrubbed a hand across his eyes before adding, “Don’t worry, I’m not just jumping into this, Traffy and I have an alliance.”

Robin smiled softly, “So, what color were we thinking for the dresses?”

Luffy sighed, trying to calm himself down and get back to the whole reason they had gotten together in the first place, “We were thinking gray.”

Nami groaned obnoxiously, taking a sip of her smoothie, “In the winter? That’s so drab.”

Luffy whirled on her, “Whose wedding is this?”

“Oh, dear.” Robin remarked, “Here we go again.”

—

+1

Luffy was curled up on the couch with Polar on his lap and Bepo laying at his feet, feeling very much at home while Sanji looked out of place. Law was on his typical Saturday graveyard shift, leaving without company for the evening and surprisingly Sanji had volunteered to come over and show him how to make a type of flatbread that he believed that Law would be able to eat without worry.

They were waiting for the dough to rise, leaving the perfect opportunity for Luffy to inquire, “Why don’t you have a date tonight? It’s cool that you’re here with me but you’re a ladies man, aren’t you? I figured on your night off the last thing you would want to do is hang out with a married friend.” 

Sanji groaned, stretching his legs out to prop them on the coffee table, “If only it was that simple.” 

“But aren’t you?” Luffy asked again. 

“You know how you fell in love with Law.”

“Yeah?”

“And it just swept you away.”

“Yeah?”

Sanji draped an arm over his eyes, “That happens to me a lot.”

“Oh.” Luffy vocalizes. He couldn’t imagine feeling the way he did about Law with anyone else. What they had was like nothing he had experienced before or since. 

“Yeah.” Sanji breathed out, “I have a hard time getting past that. I act like an idiot, let myself get treated badly for the sake of a relationship that doesn’t have any substance.”

Luffy scratched Polar’s ears, “Should you go to like therapy?” 

Sanji shot back without hesitation, “Shouldn’t you?”

“Probably.” Luffy retorted so matter-of-factly that Sanji laughed and it was a real one, higher in pitch with delight and accompanied with a snort. Luffy laughed with him on reflex, always overjoyed to have his family happy. 

When they stopped giggling about how tragic their lives were, Sanji leaned back on the couch, “As to the question about why I don’t have a date, I made a New Year’s resolution this year that I’m trying to stick to.” 

“Really?” Luffy asked, interested. 

Sanji smiled, “I promised myself that I would start actually putting effort into what I want in a relationship instead of just whoever will take me.” He leaned over to brush his shoulder against Luffy’s, “I made that resolution because I saw the world’s biggest goofball marry the world’s most edgy surgeon and thought I wanted to love like that. I want to be loved like that.” 

Luffy threw his arms around Sanji, hugging him close. He wasn’t able to assure Sanji that it would happen, that he would find someone one day who he deserved, but he could hold Sanji and he could wish for him. 

—

+5

Luffy had barely made it to their lunch date in time, having been delayed by an overdue delivery, however Zoro didn’t seem bothered. Both of them were used to the other being late, whether it be due to Zoro getting lost or Luffy’s lack of time awareness. 

He smiled at Luffy, raising his beer in greeting. Luffy settled down at the seat across the table, grinning back. “Hi, how’s it going?”

“Same as usual.” Zoro chuckled before sobering, “How about you?” 

Luffy sighed, replying truthfully, “It’s good. Things all seem to be worked out and moving forward again.”

His relationship with Law had hit a rough patch a few months ago that they had been struggling to cope with, after so long of being in sync it had been really jarring to find himself at war with the man he married. With few others he could turn to, he had sought out comfort and counselling with Zoro. Now that the hard times had been clearing to more of the usual easiness that Luffy had come to expect, he was having lunch with his best friend for nothing more than getting to spend time together. 

“You look better.” Zoro cleared his throat and didn’t look Luffy in the eye, “Happy.” 

“I am.” Luffy declared, voice choking up a bit, blissfully happy to have his life back on track. 

“Good.” Zoro nodded, “Means I don’t have to cut Law’s dick off.”

Luffy giggled, “Don’t, I still need it.” For the first time in a long time, Luffy got the pleasure of watching a blush spread across Zoro’s face even as he fumed and sputtered. He could always manage to get a reaction from Chopper, Usopp, Nami and Sanji however Zoro was harder to crack. He laughed outright, then asked, “You happy?”

Zoro shrugged non-committedly, but his eye looked lighter, more leaf-like green than the deeper poison green it had been previously. “I am if you are.” 

Luffy reached across the table to hold his hand, “Then we’re happy.” 

Zoro squeezed their joined hands, always so steadfast, one of the greatest constants in Luffy’s life, “I’ll drink to that.”

—

+7

Luffy comes running into the hospital room, sandals slipping on the tiled floors, absolutely flushed as he demands, “What happened?! I thought you two were going to a medical convention!”

“Those academics,“ Law remarked dryly, situated in one of the two beds, hooked up to several medical machines, “Real cutthroat bunch.”

“Traffy!” Luffy cries out, partially in reprimand and partially in panic because Law’s face is several shades it shouldn’t be: dark purple and blue mottled bruises, the skin visible besides a fear-inducing shade of white. 

“I’m fine, dear,” Law hurries to soothe, “This is all a precaution to make sure none of the damage is permanent.”

“Permanent?!” Luffy squawks. 

“We’re alright. I just have a beat up face, a few broken ribs and a sprained knee.” 

“They’re trying to flush out the neurotoxins from our systems.” Chopper adds helpfully from the other bed. He looks bad too, not quite as beat up but unnaturally pale.

“Wha-“ Luffy tossed his hands in the air, sputtering, “How did? I mean, why, it’s not-?” 

Law smiled gently, “That’s not a full sentence, sweetheart.”

“Don’t you sweetheart me!” Luffy snapped, “You said you were going to a medical convention, you said it was ski resort, you brought Chopper with you and dragged him into your family shit!” He racked his hands through his hair, agitated, “Ugh! I feel bad for yelling at you because you’re looking at me with your face all screwed up, but Law, you lied to me!” 

“I’m sorry.” Law pleaded, golden eyes incredibly forlorn, “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. It wasn’t supposed to be this bad. You have to believe me.” 

Luffy felt like he was going to start screaming again, words that he might not be able to take back when he cools down so instead he becomes the bigger man and stomps out of the room.

He finds himself down the hall, pacing out his pent up energy in front of a window. He had gotten the call that his husband was in a hospital an hour ago, rushed over as fast as he could with his heart in his throat only to find out that Law had just been admitted to the hospital but had been injured since late yesterday afternoon and no one told him. Law and Chopper had left for what he had been told to be a medical convention in another city four days ago. Luffy had called them, video-chatted with his husband and been shown the provided accommodations, had been texting Law back and forth, smiling at how his husband complained about the events he was forced to sit through, but it was just a lie. Law had used it as a coverup so he could go on a mission and Luffy fell for the deception blindly. 

A few minutes later, Chopper comes shuffling over, pushing along an IV stand that made a part of Luffy’s soul constrict. “Torao can’t walk on his leg right now and as a doctor I wasn’t going to let him try to crawl because you know he would. He says that he would appreciate it if you could come back to finish the conversation. He’s going to tell you the truth.” 

Luffy laughs harshly, “He should have told me in the first place and not lied.” 

“We didn’t know what we were walking into. He didn’t mean for me to be with him, I kept tagging along even when he told me to go back.” Chopper explained, passion despite how his voice lowered in volume, stepping closer to Luffy, “It wasn’t Law’s fault. He was given the wrong information then it got crazy.” Chopper clutches the IV stand like it’s a lifeline, the paleness in his face deepening, “He couldn’t tell you over the phone, but he killed people.”

The thought makes Luffy’s stomach twist unpleasantly but it is not very surprising, “I know he’s killed people before.” 

Chopper shakes his head, leaning closer to whisper in his ear, voice so faint and shaky it is barely comprehensible, “No, Luffy, he killed some of his family.” 

He vaguely thinks he’s going to throw up as he asks for clarification, dreading the answer, “The Donquixote Family?”

Chopper nodded with a whimper, “He’s trying not to get caught by anyone, but Doffy already interrogated him when he arrived, they kidnapped him so they could find out what happened, they’re furious. There’s two dead and the whole facility is lost. Law said to blame everything on the feds who showed up but I don't know how he managed to get them to let him go. He must’ve given a convincing performance.”

“He was always a good actor.” Luffy murmured, staring out into the night. His heart is pounding fast yet he feels a little numb, not fully grasping how severe the consequences of this situation will be. 

Chopper seemed confused, “Aren’t you scared?”

“I’m terrified.” Luffy admits, hands curling into fists, “I love him so much and I don’t want to ever lose him but I know that I’m not gonna be strong enough or be there all the time to protect him.” He gulps thickly, “But that’s a part of love: trust, trusting that he will return to me.”

Chopper seems hopelessly lost and frightened and he’s the one who has the least to lose in this game. Everything can be taken from Luffy if Doflamingo turns on them, everything. “I believe though that it is better to risk losing someone you love and suffering, than to never have it in the first place.” 

He takes a steadying breath, forcing his shoulders to loosen, his jaw to unclench, to paint a smile on his face so he can be brave for Law who must be even more terrified than Luffy. “My husband is hurting and stuck in a hospital bed, probably overthinking things. I gotta go now to take care of him and love him, and show him that I stand by my choice to be with him, before everything else.” 

—

+12

Franky laughed uproariously while Usopp’s eyes seemed to want to bulge out of his head, “No way.”

“Yes way!” Luffy declared.

Franky slapped him on the shoulder, “Good for you, Luffy-bro!” 

Luffy giggled as he sat on the countertop, watching the wheels in Usopp’s head turn, “There’s no way.”

“Ask him,” Luffy said simply, swinging his heels, “He’ll tell you.”

After gathering up his courage, Usopp shouted to the living room, “Law?”

Those in the other room quieted for a moment, allowing Law to answer back, “Yes?” 

“Did you and Luffy use to have sex four times a day?” 

Luffy burst out laughing again while Franky had dissolved into a silent shaking of his shoulders. 

Those who were not privy to the beginning of their conversation, which was about how to keep a marriage interesting after so many years of marriage and had very quickly spiraled into discussing the sex life of Luffy and his husband, made a ruckus over the lewd content. Law’s voice cut through them boldly, “What of it?”

“Orgasms and all?” Usopp asked for further clarification. 

“Usopp!” Kaya cried out, desperately embarrassed for her husband’s sake. Law chuckled deeply, in a way that Luffy could perfectly imagine the expression on his handsome face, “We still do on vacation.” 

“What?!” Usopp shrieked, “How?” 

Law seemed nonchalant over the series of personal questions, “We got endurance. Haven't you heard, it’s a specialty of non-straight couples, it all comes from innovation.”

Luffy fell off the counter because he was laughing so hard, slipping onto the tiled floor as Franky howled, starting to relay the discussion to the clueless others. Law came strolling into the kitchen, eyebrows quirked, “Any other private details you wish to know?” 

“No.” Usopp muttered, head buried in his hands. Nami was already chewing him out from the living room for being so crass. 

Law’s heeled boots clicking on the tile as he came over to crouch before Luffy, eyes dancing with mirth, “I don’t know why it’s such a surprise that I enjoy giving my husband pleasure.”

Luffy shook his head, wrapping his arms around Law so they could kiss right there on the kitchen floor of the family house, “They just don’t get us sometimes. When it’s meant to be, what else can you do but be together?”

“And intimately at that.” Law purred, if only to hear Usopp groan behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mean to write this behemoth of a chapter? Absolutely not. But I wanted each of the Straw Hat's to be featured during the journey of Law and Luffy's relationship. Sorry to Franky and Usopp and Nami and Robin for getting grouped into the same section but I ran out of stamina. (Which Law and Luffy can't relate to.)  
> Anyway can you guess what event happened in Chopper's section? 
> 
> Thanks for all your support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	30. Day 30: Domesticated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law groaned, “You’re lucky I think you’re hot, because you're a lot of trouble.”   
> “You love me~.” Luffy crooned, being obnoxious on purpose just to watch Law shake his head with a fond grin, “I most certainly do.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place a few weeks before Law and Luffy get married then jumps to a few months before their 25th anniversary. 
> 
> Content Warnings: None

“This is going to be fantastic.” Law exclaimed, from where he was in the depths of the closet, surrounded by all of their clothes in boxes, on a mission to completely overhaul it to his exact specifications. 

Luffy, who was working on filling up their empty entertainment unit through arranging books on the shelves and putting movies into the drawers- alphabetically by genre- , grinned mischievously as he commented, “I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of all of this. It’s just a closet.” 

Law huffed, stalking into the main part of the bedroom, “Do you know how important it is to have an organized closet? It’s the place where you put together your outfit, your very presentation to the rest of the world begins in this room and if it’s out of order and you start your day with the stress of not knowing where things are then not only are you late but you’ve also put yourself in a bad mood needlessly. I’ve told you this before, I-”

His handsome doctor fiancé cut himself off with a frown, realization settling in, “You were pretending to not understand so I would explain it again.”

Luffy laughed, making large doe eyes at his partner, “I like listening to you talk.”

Law groaned, “You’re lucky I think you’re hot, because you're a lot of trouble.” 

“You love me~.” Luffy crooned, being obnoxious on purpose just to watch Law shake his head with a fond grin, “I most certainly do.” 

Teasing aside, Luffy remarked, “I don’t still don’t why you’re spending so much time on it.” 

Law went back into the closet, continuing their conversation as he got back to his self-designated job, “I like having things organized with everything having a proper place. It means that you don’t have to worry about searching for things when you need them. That means putting in some extra work upfront but I don’t mind. It’ll be worth it, you’ll see.”

“Okay.” Luffy agreed, going back to his shelving. 

Two hours later, when Luffy had finished his first job and moved onto his second of unpacking his boxes to set up his personal nightstand. He was trying to decide which one of his preserved beetles to display next to his lamp when Law proclaimed, “It’s done, come admire my handiwork.” 

Luffy, for the first time in almost four hours was allowed to enter the closet, giving the appropriate amount of oohing and ahhing. 

It did look really nice, the back wall was covered in built-in cubbies for shoe storage, the closet had two bars for hanging clothes from, the upper bar a little higher than Luffy’s head so he could still reach everything without a stepstool, the lower one around the height of Law’s waist so whatever was hung didn’t brush the floor. The shelf above the upper bar had neatly stacked bins that contained swimsuits for the summer and an assortment of winter accessories. “Your side of the closet is to the left, mine is the right.”

“My side is pretty self-explanatory.” Law began, pointing to the areas that he talked about, “I have all of my bottoms, arranged by fabric type. Then we have the short sleeved and long sleeved shirts, which are each divided into casual, semi-formal and formal. Next is the jackets and coats, grouped by their weather-resistant capabilities. For each, I did an ombré color transition which didn’t do much but alert me to the fact that my wardrobe is predominantly blue, gray and black.” 

“And yellow.” Luffy added helpfully, running a hand along the hanging sleeves. 

“Of course,” Law continued, “In the chest of drawers is sleepwear, undergarments, work-out clothes, around the house wear, etc.; things that don’t need to be hung up. Your side,” Law declared grandly, “Is where the fun begins. For you, my beloved, I brought out the label maker.” 

“I feel so special.” Luffy said, trying not to snicker because it might come off as rude but honestly it was really entertaining to watch his fiancé get so excited about something that seemed so trivial.

“Don’t mock. It’s a stroke of genius.” Law clapped his hands together, “You have demonstrated a lack of being able to properly gauge the weather and dress appropriately. Since I’m planning on marrying you with all ten fingers and toes and wish to keep it that way, I decided that the best thing I could do for you was to arrange the closet by temperature. You’ll see that on the upper rack are labels for a range of temperatures that the clothes are suited for.” 

“On the farthest side of the rack is the eighties and above. On the opposite side is the below freezing and under, and everything in between. Now obviously there’s some overlap, because you certainly could wear a shirt for the sixties as a layer in the forties. My thought process was, not to be super strict on what goes where but to have at least one fully assembled outfit for each temperature range so you would have an example of what to aim for.” 

Luffy interrupted him with a giggle, “Babe, this is actually really sweet and cool.” 

Law grinned down at him, “I’m glad you like it.“ He looked around at his labor of love, admitting quietly, “I’ve always wanted a nice closet, it just feels luxurious.”

Luffy leaned into his side, “I do like walk-ins. They’re like bonus rooms.” 

Law nodded in agreement, “At the family house, I had a standard size one then the one at the apartment was way too small for my clothes, much less both of our stuff.” That was true, by the time they had moved out, most of Luffy’s clothes had been strewn around the living room in various storage bins. 

“This house though,” Law continued in a soft, eager voice, “This is ours, to do whatever we want. It was built for us from the ground up, we added a urinal to the master bath just because we could.” 

“I stand by that as being a great decision.” Luffy piped up. It was super fun to have a urinal in their bathroom, he had never seen another house that had one, but it made sense for them since the only two humans living in the house were both men. 

“Definitely.” Law concurred, turning to look at Luffy with glowing golden eyes, “When you think about it, this house is only going to be a few months older than our marriage. I want it to be right.” His last words could relate to the closet around them, yet Luffy knew that it basically meant everything else in their lives as well; Law always tried so hard to make Luffy happy, to put a hundred percent of himself into anything he did, even though all Luffy really needed was to have to have Law love him. 

“It is right,” Luffy confirmed, leaning up on his tiptoes to wrap his arms around Law to kiss him sweetly, “Cause it’s ours.” 

—

Luffy woke up alone in bed which wasn’t too alarming, especially when he saw that the clock read 3:47am. Every now and then, when Law couldn’t manage to get to sleep which led to a buildup of energy that required movement, he left the bedroom so he wouldn’t bother Luffy while he slept. 

It was a kind gesture though Luffy would always prefer if Law would just wake him up so he could keep his husband company. Luffy rolled out of bed, tugging on his robe as he shuffled out of the bedroom and down the stairs. He had a pretty good guess as to where he might find his spouse of almost a quarter century. (And wasn’t that just mind-boggling to think about, where had the time gone?)

They had converted one of the guest bedrooms into a nursery in the past few months, transforming the whole room to suit the needs of the new baby they were expecting to arrive soon. They had been fearful of an early labor so the room was mostly complete at this point: old carpet ripped up and replaced with a soft, thick green carpet like the grass Luffy had grown up running through. Three of the walls were painted a muted yellow that wasn’t abrasive to the eyes, the fourth a gorgeous mural that Usopp had spent weeks working on, coming over after the workday and on the weekends, that was a scene of a sunny day with carrack ship sailing on the bright blue ocean which darkened the deeper it went down where a submarine resided. 

The crib was against that wall, already assembled and waiting patiently. There was a gorgeous wooden rocking chair in the corner by the window, a gift that Franky had made for them with his own hands, carved with little lions, lambs and fishes, meticulously sanded until there was no fear of any splinters, all of the edges curved and rounded. 

Law was illuminated only by the nightlight they had set up, which projected stars onto the walls and ceiling. All of the baby clothes that they had either bought or received as gifts were laid out so they could be sorted into categories and then placed into drawers of the changing table that doubled as a dresser. Perennial, their six-year old Borzoi, looked up at Luffy’s appearance, wagging her tail at the sight of her other owner. 

Luffy rubbed sleep from his eyes, mumbling, “You know you don't have to do that now, we have like five more weeks.”

Law didn’t pause his work, “Once the baby comes, things will be crazy, nonstop. It’s better to have as much done as possible before then. You know how I like to have systems in place for everything.” He tucked another bib into a drawer before admitting, “Also I couldn’t sleep.”

“Aw,” Luffy hummed in sympathy, “The typical, I've-been-an-insomniac-since-birth can’t sleep or actual-issues-that-are-keeping-me-up can’t sleep?”

Law sighed in resignation, “Bit of both, I guess.” His hands kept moving, folding onesies neatly to put into a newly designated drawer, “I don’t know how normal couples deal with the waiting. I guess, the mom has the baby growing inside her so there's a process to see, and they can interact with it throughout, but us it’s just... anticipation.” Law waved an arm around, “There’s this empty room then one day it’s not going to be empty anymore.”

“It’s a little crazy to think about.” Luffy acknowledged, looking at the room that they had put so much effort into making it beautiful and comforting for someone they hadn’t even met yet. 

“It is.” Law agreed, then held up a pair of socks that were patterned with polar bears, voice choked, “Look at these tiny fucking socks. There’s little feet that are going to go in them.” 

Luffy laughed wetly, moving over so he could fold his hands around Law’s “We can put them on their hands too. Some people do, so they don’t scratch themselves.” 

Law chuckled, “Look, who's done his assigned reading.” Both of them had gone a little wild in their research about babies, filled with a hesitance that all new parents had. On one hand nine months didn’t seem long enough to get everything and themselves ready for their new addition, on the other it was agonizing to wait so long. 

He stared up at his husband’s face, taking in the deep lines that furrowed his angled face, the permanent ones around his eyes, the laugh lines that appeared when the laughed, the navy blue hair streaked with a winter white, the most incredible man he had ever met, whom he loved so completely it seemed infinite, the person he was about to be a parent with, “I’m nervous too, I hope they like us.”

“I’m sure they will.” Law wrapped Luffy up in his arms to press a kiss to his temple and murmur, “Have you met us? We’re totally likable.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of these days, when I finally get a house of my own I am going to finally have the closet of my dreams, until then Law will live out my fantasy.   
> Shout out to @SharinganBlue for guessing correctly about last chapter, Chopper was telling Luffy about how Punk Hazard occurred in this AU.
> 
> Thanks for all the support and I'll see you tomorrow!


	31. Day 31: Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Usopp opened the door for them, costumed as a werewolf, “Hey, dudes!”  
> “Happy Halloween!” Luffy said by way of greeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's finish this month with a Halloween party, because in this AU, they're not in the middle of a global pandemic.
> 
> Takes place a few months before Law and Luffy's fourth wedding anniversary 
> 
> Content Warnings: Semi-graphic description of a hand job and a blowjob

Law was normally not a huge fan of most holidays, he considered them on principle to be a waste of time as he wasn’t religious nor felt the urge to get drunk among strangers. Since being married, he had found himself getting roped into all sorts of holiday events, parties and general celebrations. This Halloween was shaping up to be no different. 

He was lounging in the armchair they had by the window of their bedroom, reading a book while he waited for Luffy to finish getting ready so they could go to the Halloween party and get the night over with. The love of his life came out of the bathroom breezily but frowned, “Why aren’t you dressed yet?”

Law looked up from his book, “This is my costume.” He was wearing a pair of purple scrubs and his favorite white slip-on sneakers. 

Luffy groaned, “You can’t just wear a pair of scrubs and call it a costume, you wear those everyday.”

“They’re not my usual scrubs,” Law explained, “These are the nurse’s color, so it’s different. I’m going to be a nurse for Halloween. If anyone else wore these it would be an acceptable costume.”

“Come on,” Luffy urged, walking into the closet, “We can do better.”

“Why should we?” Law argued but stood up anyway, following his husband into the closet, “People put on sheets and call it a ghost and they get away with it. I don’t see why we’re putting effort into this, it’s not like there’s going to be a contest anyway.”

Luffy missing the whole point of him bringing it up, exclaimed in delight, “Ooh, we should do that for next year.”

Luffy was dressed as some sort of prince/sorcerer, it wasn’t very clear in a pair of red skinny jeans, a yellow button up with a wine red cravat and a black cape that had a high popped up collar reaching down to his mid-calf. His straw hat was hanging by the string around his neck but there was a pretty gold crown in his hair and gold glitter smeared on his cheekbones. 

Luffy picked through Law’s side of the closet, handing over a pair of gray jeans with Law’s usual black spots, and a black leather jacket. “You got any red boots?”

“Of course.” Law pulled out a pair of cherry red heeled ankle boots from their cubby hole, “What kind of man did you think you married?”

“Okay, now do something spooky with your eyes.” Law obediently changed out of his scrubs and into the given clothes, zipping the jacket up halfway to display his intricate tattoos. In the bathroom, he pulled out one of his eyeshadow pallets to get to work. He did the thickest smoky eye he could with his eyeliner, covering his whole eyelids with the wings and extending the inner crease down the sides of his nose, next he added a red eyeshadow around the lower lashline taking it up around his whole eye to reach his brow bone. Finally he applied a black lipstick, giving it a topcoat with a clear gloss. Once he had finished he turned to his husband, “Satisfied?”

“Wow! Here, you can use my pitchfork.” His pitchfork was actually a red trident and made of plastic, nevertheless the sentiment was clear. 

Law accepted it with a smile, “Thank you, dear.” 

Luffy’s bright eyes looked up at Law with an adoration that was almost overwhelming, “You’re welcome, sweetie.”

—

They parked their car in a line that went all the down the street from the house. Holding hands they walked up the driveway to ring the doorbell. Usopp opened the door for them, costumed as a werewolf, “Hey, dudes!”

“Happy Halloween!” Luffy said by way of greeting.

“Good evening.” Law deadpanned which made Usopp laugh, grabbing their to haul them inside. The house was full of people, most of whom Law knew only by association, various friends and coworkers of the family. There was dance music pumping from a speaker somewhere and the overhead lights had been turned off, leaving the colored Christmas lights that hung year-round as the only source of light for a better atmosphere. The party spilled out to the deck as well with pumpkin carving and painting competitions and bobbing for apples. Law had to admit, as far as house Halloween parties went, it wasn’t bad.

Chopper waved at them happily in greeting from where he was talking to some people from his medical school, dressed as a ghost with a large white cloak that’s hood had a printed ghoulish face and a red bow tie. Law pursed his lips together with an eyebrow raised at the sight. He gestured at Chopper’s costume, saying pointedly to Luffy, “Just like I said.” 

Luffy rolled his eyes, brushing past to go hug Zoro who was dressed as a mummy, which basically meant his body was covered in strips of gauze haphazardly so that he was mostly exposed, the only piece of clothing he wore was a green pair of shorts. Law looked him over, disapproving about the choice of attire for the current weather, “You just try to not wear clothes, do you?”

Zoro scoffed, matching Law’s golden gaze with a single green eye with a toss of his head, “Don’t see anyone complaining.” 

“I’m complaining.” Came a high-pitched voice from behind him, a young woman who Law had never seen before stomping over in high heeled platform boots, in a school girl outfit, pink ringlets tied into ponytails, big pouty eyes lined with heavy eyeliner, “Your outfit is so not cute.” 

Zoro sighed, rubbing his brow with a hand, “My sister’s in town and decided she’d come annoy me, like she always does.”

“Dad was out of town, what was I supposed to do, spend Halloween alone?”

“Don’t you have friends you can hang out with?”

“Well, yeah, but you’re supposed to spend holidays with your family.”

Law snorted, because he had met Zoro’s father at their wedding and that man was a goth freak and it seemed the trait had been passed to his sister, “Is your whole family weird?” 

“Yes.” Came the reply from the other three. 

Luffy dragged Law away from the bickering siblings to the kitchen so they could see Sanji, dressed as a counly vampire, stirring a bowl of punch that had chunks of dry ice that was making it fog like a caldron. Law peered at the dark liquid, suspiciously, “What is it?”

Sanji held out a cup to Luffy who accepted eagerly, “Margaritas with food coloring.” Law took a cup as well since he never turned down a good drink. Together they picked over the food that was spread out on every surface of the countertops. There were all sorts of Halloween themed foods, both sweet and savory, as well as a huge bowl full of candy. 

Luffy shoved cookies wrapped in a napkin in his pocket as if there wasn’t a whole tray full, loading up a small plate full of other items while Law more moderately picked up some slices of mango wrapped in prosciutto and put it neatly on a small plate, as well as a handful of chips. 

They ventured back out into the main room, wound up talking to Nami, who was dressed as a witch in long dress, a lovely shade of purple with a matching hat, as they watched Halloween themed trivia questions play on the large tv. Law was a pro at trivia: he had always had a knack for remembering things and he was mildly obsessed with the art of cinema. 

After a few rounds, they wandered out to the backyard to partake in the pumpkin themed activities. Law wasn’t too fond of the whole carving of pumpkins because he found it created a huge mess but he painted a pumpkin at Luffy’s insistence. He ended up having a conversation with Brook because the older man was dressed as a grim reaper which on it’s own wouldn't be so impressive except all of his visible skin was painted black to create negative space then there was an scarily anatomically correct skeleton painted over in white. 

“How long does it actually take you to put it all on?” Law asked, examining the twenty-seven individual bones painted on Brook’s hand. 

“Covering everything with black is the longest part, all of the bones are done with stencils that I paint over. I’ve gotten it down to an hour and a half by myself, less if I have help, which I usually do.”

“It’s what he does for Soul King!” Luffy chimed around a mouthful of cookie.

“Really?” Law questioned, genuinely surprised, “Every time?”

“Yes,” Brook explained, “I started out classical, then joined a band who did jazz, when I became the front man of my own band and started doing rock I started the Soul King persona. It’s much easier to avoid fans when they don’t know your real name or face, which is preferable at my age.”

Law sipped his margarita, thoroughly impressed, while Luffy stated, “I can’t believe you haven't been to one of his concerts yet.”

“Whose fault is that?” Law demanded, “Isn’t it your job to take me?”

Brook laughed, “No need to fuss, boys, I’ll get you tickets for the next one. I’d love for you to come.”

“I’ll look forward to it.” Law replied honestly. 

They ran into Franky and Robin next, when they went to the food tables again. Franky was a Frankenstein ironically, his whole body painted blue in a way that made Law cringe to think of the mess he was going to make showering it off, since he wasn’t wearing a shirt and only had a speedo. Robin, standing next to him, was wearing a demon costume in a black long sleeved, turtlenecked miniskirt sweater dress, thigh high fishnets and with a pair of wings and a tail attached along with a headpiece with horns. She grinned into her glass of wine, remarking, “Looks like we’re a matching set, Law-kun.”

Law looked down at his costume and the pitchfork in his hand then looked back at her with a coy smile, “I guess so. Are you eager to make a deal with the devil?”

“Oi!” Franky exclaimed, but Luffy and Robin both laughed. Law chuckled too, “I was just teasing, I am more than content with my own spouse.”

The four of them talked for a while, until Law was getting tired of making idly chit chat while his husband stood beside him, looking incredible, red skinny jeans hugging his ass, the crown on his head glimmering in low lighting.

He excused them from the conversation with the other couple, guiding Luffy away with a hand around his waist, hissing under his breath, “You are a cruel man, making me go to a party at your family’s house with you dressed like that and not some shady club where I could bend you over in a dark corner like we were supposed to do with Kid and Killer.”

Luffy looked up at him through thick eyelashes, “If you’re really that eager, I know a spot with some privacy.”

Law wiped his lipstick off in preparation, “We’re not having sex in the old bedroom you used to share with Zoro.” Luffy laughed, dragging him down the hall of the bedrooms but instead of having them go into one, he opened the door to a small linen closet that was just big enough for them to squeeze into.

They made out, pressed against the door, grinding up on each other like they were teenagers. Eventually Law got tired of bending his head to not hit the coat rack and slid down the wall to sit on the ground, folding his long legs almost up to his chest to fit, Luffy settled into his lap like he belonged there, unbuttoning his pants hurriedly, unclipping his cape to let it slide off his shoulders, pulling his straw hat from around his neck to place it gently on the ground beside them. Law grabbed his wrist on it’s way up to his head again, ordering, “Keep the crown on.”

Luffy shrieked with laughter, leaving Law to shush him quickly so no one would hear. Together, they managed to wrangle Luffy skinny jeans down low enough for easy access. Law was practically doubled over on himself to be able to have his mouth in proximity. He spent some time, rubbed the coarse hair of his goatee over the sensitive skin, licked and kissed teasingly, until Luffy squeezed his shoulders hard with a choked whine for him to begin.

Law wasn’t able to unhinge his jaw like a snake like Luffy could but he more than made up for it with technique, also wrapping his hand around the part of the shaft that he couldn’t get into his mouth. 

Law kept his eyes trained upward so he could watch his husband, mesmerized by the way the golden crown seemed to belong amongst his black locks, the perfect pink flush on his cheeks from exertion and pleasure that shimmered with the golden glitter dusted on, the way he bit his lip to keep from making noises that would alert anyone of their nefarious actions, the sparkle in his fathomless eyes like a star going supernova. 

Luffy shoved his own hand down Law’s pants to stroke him, giving back the pleasure he was being given, their ecstasy intensified, utterly lost in their own world, until they came to completion one after the other, right there on the floor of the linen closet while a party went on in the house around them.

As they regained their breaths, Law stoked the scars of Luffy’s thighs from the skin graft Law had done years ago with reverently, head pressed into Luffy stomach who ran gentle hands through Law’s thick hair, trailing them down the curve of his tattooed back. Luffy hummed contently, “You’re good at that."

Law snorted, “I would hope so after so much practice.” He looked at the mess they made, admitting sheepishly, “I didn’t think through the aftermath well. I might have a napkin.”

“Wait a second,” Luffy murmured, reaching up to the coats hanging above them to rummage through the pockets, “Ha! I knew it!” He produced a travel-sized package of tissues, “Leave it to Robin’s mom instincts to save the day.”

They cleaned themselves up with the stolen tissues then they reoriented their clothing until they were presentable.

They emerged from the closet laughing, cheeks flushed and clothes rumpled despite Law’s best attempt to smooth them out. After another quick cleanup in the bathroom, they integrated themselves back into the party easily, making their way through the living room to the kitchen to get another drink. 

By the punch bowl, Nami wrinkled her nose at the sight of them, “Where did you guys go?”

“I was giving a Law a house tour!” Luffy lied with a giggle.

Nami frowned, “He’s been around here for almost four years.” 

“It’s always good to get a refresher course.” Law remarked, turning his face so she wouldn’t see how he grinned.

—

The next morning, Law woke up on the couch, with Luffy tucked against his side and snoring away. Law blinked blearily at the sunlight streaming in from the windows, yawning. The house was quiet, though disordered from last night’s which they hadn’t managed to fully clean up before they had all crashed. Law was grateful that he had remembered to scrub the heavy eye makeup off before he had fallen asleep or else he really would have looked like a demon. He made himself laugh at the thought. Luffy hummed at the sound, stirring awake, stretching out with his arms above his head. One of his hands smacked Law’s face and he swatted Luffy back, teasing softly, “Don’t hit me, I’m not an alarm clock.”

Luffy giggled before his face split with a yawn, “Sorry.”

Law moved Luffy off him a bit so he could sit up, swinging his legs to rest on the floor. Luffy crawled over again, draping himself over Law’s shoulders, pressing open mouth kisses to Law’s neck, “Wanna get breakfast?”

“Certainly, wouldn’t say no to coffee.”

Luffy’s breath whuffed out on his neck in question, “What do we want?”

That simple word, ‘we’ meant so much to Law. He leaned backwards, twisting his head to kiss Luffy’s cheek, “I don’t care. It’s the day after Halloween. We have a surplus of leftover candy.”

“We can’t just have leftover candy for breakfast.” 

It was a sign of maturity that Law hadn’t expected to hear this early in the morning, “Never thought I would hear you say that. We can get creative though.” He scratched at his beard, then a thought popped in his head and he stood up, “I got an idea.”

Less than 20 minutes later, Luffy was spooning blondie batter into a deep baking pan, trying not to make a mess while Law continued to unwrap fun-sized candy.

Luffy licked excess batter off his fingers, putting in Kit-Kats and M&Ms whole into the top of batter while Law cut up the Snickers and the Reece’s so they could be put in as well, in smaller pieces to be eaten easier. They both had drinks to keep them hydrated until their breakfast was finished: Luffy with a glass of orange juice and Law a steaming mug of coffee. 

“What are you doing-” They both glanced up to see Sanji, standing in the entrance of the kitchen, expression thunderous, “In my kitchen?!” 

“This isn’t the good pan!” Luffy shrieked in defense, running to hide behind Law because he knew that Sanji wouldn’t be able to get at him without going through his husband first and Sanji wouldn’t be able to get past Law without the whole kitchen getting destroyed.

“You shouldn't be using any pan!” Sanji snapped, blonde hair a bedraggled mess, “This is my kitchen!”

“But we wanted breakfast!”

“Then go make it at your own house, you have a bigger kitchen than I do!”

“Don’t be rude!” Luffy shot back.

Sanji seemed to finally look at what was actually in Luffy’s hands, “What are you even doing?” 

Luffy looked down at the pan he was about to put in the oven, “Getting rid of Halloween candy.” 

Sanji actually gasped in horror, “This is an atrocity. You know how many of those textures are going to clash together, you’re gonna get a half-mushy, half-burnt concoction from the depths of hell.”

“Damn.” Law muttered, taking a bite of a Kit-Kat, leaning on the counter as Luffy looked at the pan soberly then shook his head and shoved it in anyway.

Sanji groaned, slumping over the fridge to start pulling out other ingredients to make a proper breakfast, “I cannot believe you are using my sacred kitchen for such nefarious purposes.” He shot Law a disbelieving look, “I can’t believe you let him do this.”

“It was his idea in the first place.” Luffy said, perfectly happy to throw his husband under the bus. 

Law frowned at the betrayal but wasn’t able to keep it on his face for long as he admitted, “I’m not going to lie, I only slept for like four hours so I’m still a bit drunk. I’m finding my judgment is skewed because it sounded like a good idea.” 

Sanji looked at him in pity, “Geez man, you do need some food.” He tied an apron around his waist with a flourish, “Lucky for you, I’m an expert at hangover food.”

Luffy cheered while Law smiled into his coffee.

Forty minutes later, their candy blondies came out of the oven, a perfect conclusion to their large breakfast of scrambled eggs with salmon and sweet potato hash. The others had staggered in and had joined them at the dining room table and now Luffy put it proudly on the table before them. Zoro tilted his head so he could look at it with his one eye, “Looks weird.”

Nami wrinkled her nose, “I can already feel myself getting a cavity by looking at it.”

Luffy served himself a sizable piece, sitting back down next to Law and shoving the plate between them to share. Law hefted up a forkful, chewing it thoughtfully. It was still warm from the oven, the blondie recipe was simple but tasty and the candy had softened during the baking process, chocolate, caramel and peanut butter melting from their hardened state to make something that was decent tasting yet very sweet. “It tastes good to me.” 

Luffy nodded in agreement, having already inhaled half of it.

Sanji huffed, “It’s not bad, I could combat the sweetness next time by making a different base batter, or just add more salt. I’m pretty sure pretzels would work well or maybe smoked bacon, or any type of nut.”

Law raised an eyebrow, “You’re saying it like you’re going to make it again.”

“Of course, I am.” Sanji answered matter-of-factly, “It’s a new tradition, day-after-Halloween breakfast blondies.” 

“Congratulations, Law-San for your invention,” Brook gushed, “I believe the last added new tradition was the Valentines Single Skinny-Dipping that Zoro-San came up with.”

“That one is so stupid.” Nami moaned, apparently mad about a certain tradition she had to partake in. Zoro grinned deviously as Sanji agreed venomously. 

Luffy cackled, “That one is fun!”

“But you haven’t done it since you started dating Traffy.” Chopper disputed.

Law leaned down to whisper in Luffy’s ear, “You’re welcome for stopping you from having to catch hypothermia.”

Luffy beamed at him, eyes brighter than the morning sun, “You’re always taking care of me!”

“For the rest of our lives.” Law vowed, capturing his sweet lips in a kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, folks we did it, we made it to the end. It was a long journey for sure. I don’t know how it was for you all as readers but as the author this month felt like an eternity but at the same time I can’t believe there’s 31 chapters posted. Some chapters seem to fly out of me like they were always meant to be there, others were a struggle and some started in one place and went in a totally different direction by the time they were uploaded. I can say with certainty that I am proud of each and every one because this month was about rising to the challenge.  
> If you’ve taken a glimpse at my profile, all of my works have been one shots and I hadn’t posted new content for any fandom in over a year. I’m always writing, both fanfic and original works but I rarely publish it because I tend to want to finish the work before it’s done. I've actually been writing for this AU since May 2018 but I had never uploaded anything because it wasn't 'finished'. This month took me far out of my comfort zone because there were some days when I had a single summery sentence written and only two hours before I needed to have it posted but here we are over 60,000 words later. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who joined me this month and a huge shoutout to all of you who gave kudos and left comments, it gave me joy to see your reactions and was a huge motivator to make sure I kept up with the postings. 
> 
> I’ll be taking November off but I’ll be back in December with another twelve chapter work in this series, to give you some holiday spirit and tell the story of Law and Luffy’s wedding.

**Author's Note:**

> So there it was, my first contribution for Fantober 2020, where we got to write for our favorite pairing created by the wonderful @amiegalilei. I chose Lawlu, who have always held a special place in my heart, I think it's the whole salty winter adult falling for the sunshine child trope honestly. Anyway look forward to updates every day hopefully or maybe double postings if I miss a day. This first chapter is gonna be the longest one, since I wanted to give a more lengthy introduction to the verse. Stay turned and let me know if you liked it!


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